Croatia

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Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 245

Let's discuss the Croatian AF, and its future.

The webpages I have found which list Croatian AF inventory are outdated and contradictory to each other so I am counting on you guys.

Is the following information correct: The Croatian AF has 32 Mig-21's and 20 PC-9M's. They are all in good condition. The helicopter fleet is made up of 25 Mi-8's and 15 Mi-24's. For transport they have 3 An-32's and 13 An-2's.

They also have a number of older aircraft like J-20's (an old Yugoslav aircraft from the 50's) but these are not in active service.

Does anyone know how many of which types of Mig-21's they have?

How do pilots go from the PC-9M straight to the Mig-21? Or are they not even training new Mig-21 pilots? Any chance of Croatia signing up for the NTFC program (Nato Flight Training in Canada)?

Now about the future... Does Croatia have any intention of doing what Slovenia did and completely disbanding their fast jet fleet and keeping only helicopters and transports?

There was a plan to receive 12 F-16's from the US. I have not head anything about this since 1998. I have heard it claimed that the reason they never got them was because the US did not want to sell them, another source says the reason is because Croatia couldn't afford them, and a third source claims that the US refused to sell the AIM-120 with them and that's why Croatia wouldn't buy them. So which is the truth? Does anyone know more about this?

Original post

Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 644

Apparently Croatia only operates the 12 MiG-21's (8 bis, 4 UM) that were refurbished in Romania a couple of years ago. I think the Mi-24 fleet is grounded. Croatian Mi-24 pilots may get flight hours in Macedonia.

I have heard that not all of the PC-9's are operational.

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 311

Apparently Croatia only operates the 12 MiG-21's (8 bis, 4 UM) that were refurbished in Romania a couple of years ago....

Have they been upgraded or just overhauled?

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 10,217

Upgraded by Elbit-designed avionics package

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 11

Although there have been some improvements, the situation is stil baaaaad. The two main reasons for this are IMHO the lack of money and stupidity of the higher ranking officers.

The MiG fleet did receive some upgrades, but nothing even near the Lancer standard: I think a GPS and some other Bendix-King nav equipement was installed. I don't know how many MiGs were upgraded, but know that the upgraded twoseaters got a D suffix, making them MiG-21UMD.

The Mi-24s are grounded, and most likely won't fly again.

The Mi-8MTV-1 fleet is undergoing major maintenance (halleluyah: there were times recently that only one or two were airworthy), and three Mi-8MTV-1s are to be modified in some way and sent to some UN mission somewhere (Afganistan?).

There situation with PC-9s and Bell 206s shouldn't be good either - lack of spare parts is their main problem...

Although I do live in Croatia, CroAF is not the first on my list of interests, so all this is somewhat sketchy - but you get the idea...

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 153

Since you are interested in Croatian airforce, do you happen to have any photos of camouflaged cropdusters from the 1991 war?
Like M18 Dromader, Cessna Agtruck, Piper Pa25 Pawnee etc.
I have some from the Insignia magazine but they are BW and the directions are not very clear in their colouring.
Thanks.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 10,217

Since you are interested in Croatian airforce, do you happen to have any photos of camouflaged cropdusters from the 1991 war?
Like M18 Dromader, Cessna Agtruck, Piper Pa25 Pawnee etc.
I have some from the Insignia magazine but they are BW and the directions are not very clear in their colouring.
Thanks.

Sorry, I have forgotten the whole thing a bit, here is the long ago promised PZL Kruk of Venezuelan GN.. I also have one clear Croatian picture in color, that needs to be scanned first

Attachments

Member for

20 years 8 months

Posts: 68

What is the purpose of that thing? Spraying the enemy with chemical agents?

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 10,217

What is the purpose of that thing? Spraying the enemy with chemical agents?

It is just theory but couldn't the thing be used in anti-drug ops for spraying the cannabis or similar fields with killing chemical agents?

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 153

THANKS FLEX :) this was a nice surprise!

I appreciate it.

Now as for Pleuris' question, the answer for the Croatian birds is they used them as bombers with homebuilt bomb racks under the belly and the wing area.

The venezuelan bird is probably used for spraying drug plantations as suggested above.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 374

Upgraded and overhauled An-32

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/Crotale/P6250019-copy.jpg

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 657

Croatian police operated a couple of AB-412´s in the war?

I heard that they had the two helicopters painted in white

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 245

Is Croatia still training new Mig-21 pilots or not?

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 278

Croat PC -9 in nice scheme

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 374

Some info HRZ

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 311

Say, can anybody tell me where I can buy this interesting book I found on the balkan website Hawk 75 mentioned or who publishes it? My serbocroatian is a bit rusty :D

http://www.yuairwar.com/images/HRZnaslovnica.jpg

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 245

Can someone answer my original question about whether or not Croatia is still training new Mig-21 pilots?

Also, is any other country involved in training Croatian pilots?

Also, if the Mi-24 fleet is soon to be retired, will anything replace them?

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 311

Can someone answer my original question about whether or not Croatia is still training new Mig-21 pilots?

Also, is any other country involved in training Croatian pilots?

Also, if the Mi-24 fleet is soon to be retired, will anything replace them?

The last I knew the Croat air force had some 8xMiG-21Bis and 4xMiG-21UM refurbished (zerotimed?) as well as subjected to a limited upgrade to the Communications, IFF and Navigation systems by Aerostary in Romania. Of course that was 8-12 months ago. I'd actually like to get some current information on Croat plans vis a vi the MiG-21 myself. It seems to me that unless something has radically changed for the Croat AF since this delivery took place in 2004 we can conclude that they intend to continue operating the MiG-21 in which case they must be training new pilots. The reason for the MiG-21 upgrade is that the Croat MOD seems to be anticipating that Nato will empose upon them that they secure their own airspace in which case they must have something, and the reduced MiG-21 upgrade by Aerostar was the bare minimum reqired for the MiG to fulfill this role. There is an interesting article here (sorry :( googe cache only) that explains the fiscal realities facing the Corat AF and why people speculating on Croatia buying a few dozen F-16s or Gripens in the near future are dreaming. :D Admittedly the text is two years old but it echoes what I have been hearing from Croatian aircraft buffs quite recently.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 374

Mi-24 have not fly since '99 and they will be scarped.