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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Report: Germany offers Croatia 20 aging F-4 Phantom fighter jets
By: The Associated Press
Posted: 03/16/2011 6:48 AM |
ZAGREB, Croatia - Croatian state TV is reporting that Germany has offered Croatia 20 aging F-4 Phantom fighter planes to replace its even older MIG-21 jets.
Croatia's HRT television says the twin-engine American-made fighters can fly for another couple of years before they are retired.
But the six Soviet-made MIGs in the Croatian air force fleet have an even shorter flight span left.
HRT says the Croatian government has not yet answered to the German free-of-charge offer for the McDonnell Douglas Phantoms, which entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 1960 and have long been retired by the German air force.
HRT says that if the offer is not accepted, Croatia could soon find itself without jets to protect its skies.