Croatia’s Purchase of Israeli Jets Stalled Over U.S. Approval

Croatia said Wednesday that a deal to buy 12 used F-16 jets from Israel worth $500 million could be in jeopardy if the US does not approve of the sale.

The tentative deal to buy the upgraded F-16 Barak fighter jets from Israel was made earlier this year pending a U.S. approval allowing Israel to sell the American-made jets to a third party.

Israel has upgraded the jets with sophisticated electronic systems — crucial in Croatia’s decision to buy the planes from Israel rather than from the U.S.

The U.S. is now hinting that the upgrades should be removed.

Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic says “we will either buy the planes that were originally offered (by Israel) or the tender will be declared null and void, there is no dilemma about it.”