Croatia's purchase of half a billion dollars' worth of F-16 fighter aircraft from israel has sparked a bit of controversy, with Croatian officials saying the deal has the green light, while US officials say that's not the case.
“The US government has given permission to the State of israel to offer the Israeli F-16 to Croatia, and we have a document to that effect,” Croatian Defense Minister Damir Krstičević said Friday, according to Total Croatia News.
Croatia solicited offers for fighter jets from South Korea, Greece, Sweden and the US as well. In March, the Croatian government announced its agreement with Israel to purchase a batch of F-16s for some $485 million.
“In its bid, Israel undertook to deliver to Croatia aircraft that is compatible with NATO and obliged itself to ensure the extension of the planes' service life complies with the original manufacturer's criteria. Delivery, too, is the responsibility of the State of Israel. Based on those documents and the tender, we made the decision on the purchase of the multipurpose fighter fights, and the process was legal and transparent,” the defense minister said.
One of the sticking points is that when US-based Lockheed Martin initially produced the aircraft and Israel acquired them, Washington and Israel had an agreement which said Washington would have to approve any relinquishment of the aircraft to a third party. “The Israelis need to accept the technical…