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Croatia Seals Caesar Howitzer Deal With France, Sets Rafale Upgrade Path

The purchase taps the EU's new SAFE instrument to channel financing to Europe's defense industry.

Overview

  • Zagreb and Paris signed an agreement confirming 18 Caesar self-propelled howitzers, a package previously priced by Croatia at about €320 million.
  • Croatia signed a letter of intent to modernize its 12 Dassault Rafale jets to a standard equivalent to that of the French Air and Space Force.
  • Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and President Emmanuel Macron announced the moves in Paris during a visit that also produced a 2026–2028 strategic action plan.
  • Macron said the artillery acquisition will be financed using the EU’s SAFE instrument designed to support the European defense industrial base.
  • French media report that Croatia has also approved 15 Serval armored vehicles within a wider €1.7 billion package, with KNDS indicating first deliveries from these orders are expected by mid-2029.