Posted on 02/04/2011 9:42:45 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Croatian Ministry of Defence has invited representatives from Russian fighter aircraft manufacturers to evaluate whether any of Croatia's fighter planes could be modernized.
Representatives of the Russian company MiG and Rosoboronexport agency will be coming to Croatia to evaluate the condition of several 20-year-old planes that they manufactured. Croatia is looking to either modernize its current stock or buy some new or used planes.
Eight planes should be modernized according to the Ministry of Defense's plan, costing the state some 20 million dollars. Considering that these planes are more than 30 years old, only the manufacturer can decide whether they can be "refurbished." If the Russian experts say this is not possible, Croatia might look to purchases several used jet fighter planes from India.
(Excerpt) Read more at croatiantimes.com ...
They get tired of MiG-21’s or whatever?
MiG-21 “The Flying Coffin”
Nice new paint job, the stereo radio and tape deck, and $3Million Euros later you have a nifty 8-plane Air Force that can fly from one end of Croatia to the other and back again in 6 minutes flat, or until the Russki engine throws a blade through the cockpit.
BTW, having been there, IMHO, the Bosnians are not serious Muslims, (Islam Lite) although they imported quite a few really bad jihadis for military purposes. These terrorists are disarmed, but may still be hanging around and giving the Bosniaks trouble over their immodest women, pork sausages, and beer. Historically, they have also used Albanians as their hitmen.
BTW, The Bosniaks also managed quite a few atrocities during the late unpleasantness, as did the Croatians, and of course the Kosovar Albanians. But the Serbs got the worst publicity and took the rap.
You commit atrocities upon your neighbors for 1500 years and it gets to become a habit. Just so long as they don’t keep exporting it.
Coffee through nose onto keyboard. You owe me.
/johnny
It works damn well for the money ... as an alarming number of hotshots discovered in VN. It also has an extremely high accident rate, but considering that thousands of them were flown by Third World dudes who were lucky to have had a check ride in an ox cart before strapping in, that's probably not the Russki's fault ... all that much.
In fact, the Bosniaks are trying to dump their Afghan, Chechen, etc. mujadehinn former pals as fast as they can. Of course the Saudis are pouring money into the place, trying to Wahabb-ize'em, but great beer and tasty pork sausages, and truly outstandingly good-looking women with Euro style rights, who are more interested in Italian shoes than Islam, should put a brake on that move.
Well, you give a tiny bit more hope for the Balkans. Thanks.
Greetings from Croatia.
There was a lot of debate here about the fighter’s choice and a lot of of unverified report from red tape press.
Problem was in reality that our’s minister of defence initial plan to purchase modern (although second hand ) fighters had to be posponed by some years ‘cause economical crisis and more stringent military acquisition.
That left us with a capablity gap around year 2013, that was worstened by the loss of two jets last november during training .
Renting air coverage from other Nato countries, a solution that some of ours neightbours adopted was immediately refused for national dignity’s sake.
In meantime we received a lot of offers of short-time renting of very used aircraft as gap-filler: f-16, mirages and last one a ridicoulous (apparently) free-of- charge F-4F offer from Germany.
Also this proposed solution misses completely the point however.
It is about Time, stupid:
You can offer us also free of charge F-22s, we still would need about two years to train pilots and ground crews, let alone the need to build a dedicated line of support, but we need fighters NOW.
So, only possible choice will be to overhaul our mig-21f or the time being and wait until we can afford ourselves Gripens (as it is the only modern fighters than can be sobstitute Fishbeds in a quasi one -to-one basis, that is the sole real requisite ).
In exchange for my friendly gesture, I expect a real deal on one of those giant Russki Biplanes you fellows have lying about. Should make an excellent crop duster.
*NROR = Americanski for "No Reasonable Offer Refused."
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