ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Defence Ministry has completed a programme which will, despite the significant decrease of budgetary resources, by the end of the year, increase the technical equipment of the Croatian Armed
Forces, especially the Air Force, Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Friday. A part of the programme, he said, relates to the overhaul of two Croatian MIGs, for which an agreement has been signed with Rumania's company "Aerostar". The public has been speculating that an Israeli company was chosen for the job, but the agreement with Aerostar is significantly more favourable for Croatia, Rados told a news conference. The agreement also includes the purchase of four new aircraft of the MIG 21 UM type. Croatian Air Force commander Josip Stimac said that 2002 was the deadline for the overhaul of most aircraft, and about 300 million kuna would be needed for maintenance of all of them in the next ten years, which is
ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Defence Ministry has completed
a programme which will, despite the significant decrease of
budgetary resources, by the end of the year, increase the technical
equipment of the Croatian Armed Forces, especially the Air Force,
Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Friday.
A part of the programme, he said, relates to the overhaul of two
Croatian MIGs, for which an agreement has been signed with
Rumania's company "Aerostar".
The public has been speculating that an Israeli company was chosen
for the job, but the agreement with Aerostar is significantly more
favourable for Croatia, Rados told a news conference.
The agreement also includes the purchase of four new aircraft of the
MIG 21 UM type.
Croatian Air Force commander Josip Stimac said that 2002 was the
deadline for the overhaul of most aircraft, and about 300 million
kuna would be needed for maintenance of all of them in the next ten
years, which is the price of only one new average aeroplane.
Stressing that from 1997 until last year the expenses for technical
equipment of the Armed Forces were halved, Assistant Defence
Minister in charge of equipment and purchase, Drazen Jakopec, said
that the funds for increasing equipment had been found through the
reallocation of funds and the redefinition of some useless
projects.
Minister Rados assessed that the programme of technical equipment
increase would, besides maintaining the stability of the military
system in the next five years, set the foundations for making new
and better decisions.
He added that the first aircraft would arrive from Rumania at the
beginning of the summer.
(hina) lml sb