Croatian Warplane Crashes During Training Flight

Croatian Warplane Crashes During Training Flight
Croatian army Russian-made MiG-21 plane on the tarmac of Zagreb airport in a file photo. (Denis Lovrovic/AFP via Getty Images)
The Associated Press
12/7/2022
Updated:
12/7/2022

ZAGREB, Croatia—Both pilots safely ejected from a MiG-21 fighter jet that crashed during a training flight, Croatian officials said Tuesday.

The crash occurred in an uninhabited forest area in the northeast of the country around 2 p.m. (1300 GMT). One pilot suffered undisclosed injuries, officials said.

NATO and EU member Croatia has an ageing fleet of some 12 Soviet-made MiG-21s that are due to be replaced with a squadron of French-made Rafale fighter jets.

The delivery of the Rafale jets is expected to begin in late 2024 with a first batch of eight and a second batch of four in early 2025.