Seen in Turkish service, the TB2 will now also be fielded by Croatia. (Baykar)
Croatia has signed for the Baykar Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) from Türkiye.
Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić announced the contract on 21 November, with the agreement being signed in Zagreb.
“Today, I signed a contract with the CEO of the Turkish company Baykar for the procurement of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicle system for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia,” Anušić said. “With an investment … worth EUR67 million [USD71 million], we are equipping the Croatian Army with one of the best unmanned aerial vehicle systems in the world, which, in addition to combat operations, can also be used to monitor our borders, thereby further contributing to the security system of the Republic of Croatia.”
News of the deal came days after Anušić announced the procurement on 15 November as part of a wider raft of purchases geared at bolstering the Balkan country's armed forces.
While neither system/air vehicle numbers nor the delivery timeline was disclosed by either Baykar or Anušić, the Polish Ministry of National Defence, which also operates the TB2, has previously valued each system (comprising six air vehicles, three ground control stations, and spares) at USD67 million. As such, Croatia appears to have bought a single TB2 system.
For Croatia, selecting the TB2 is part of a wider revamp of its armed forces in general, and its air force in particular. Most notably, it has now begun receiving 12 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft that it ordered from France to replace its now-retired MiG-21s.
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