Israel confirms F-16 sale to Croatia nixed over Washington’s objections
Defense Ministry chief apologizes after deal to provide 12 fighter jets for $500m vetoed by Americans, who reportedly demanded Israeli upgrades be rolled back
The director-general of the Defense Ministry, Udi Adam, apologized to Croatia on Thursday for the collapse of a $500 million deal to sell aging Israeli F-16 Barak fighter jets, after Washington nixed the deal.
“The Defense Ministry places great importance on deepening the cooperation between Israel and Croatia. To that end, we initiated the F-16 [sale], which included Israeli knowhow and technology,” Adam was quoted as saying during meetings Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatian capital.
Adam called both countries’ conduct “professional and considered,” and said the “conditions, unfortunately, did not allow us to realize the deal because of unforeseeable problems that were beyond the control of either government.”
Israeli city of Eilat, on November 8, 2017. (Jack Guez/AFP)
The director-general of the Defense Ministry, Udi Adam, apologized to Croatia on Thursday for the collapse of a $500 million deal to sell aging Israeli F-16 Barak fighter jets, after Washington nixed the deal.
“The Defense Ministry places great importance on deepening the cooperation between Israel and Croatia. To that end, we initiated the F-16 [sale], which included Israeli knowhow and technology,” Adam was quoted as saying during meetings Thursday in Zagreb, the Croatian capital.
Adam called both countries’ conduct “professional and considered,” and said the “conditions, unfortunately, did not allow us to realize the deal because of unforeseeable problems that were beyond the control of either government.”
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Israel made a tentative deal to sell the upgraded F-16 Barak fighters to Croatia last March, pending US approval for allowing the jets to go to a third party.
The deal was to be the Balkan nation’s biggest arms purchase since splitting from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
But Washington objected to the sale, apparently on the grounds that Israel’s upgrades made the planes more attractive to buyers than their American counterparts. It said Israel needed to strip off the upgrades made to the US-made jets after Israel acquired the planes some 30 years ago, including sophisticated electronic and radar systems.
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>https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-confirms-f-16-sale-to-croatia-nixed-over-washingtons-objections/
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