March 29 (SeeNews) - Croatia's government said on Thursday it has agreed to acquire 12 F-16 multi-purpose combat aircraft from Israel for some $500 million (405.7 million euro).
Croatia will pay the price in 10 equal annual installments of $50 million each, prime minister Andrej Plenkovic said during a cabinet session streamed on the website of the government.
The government's decision follows Wednesday's announcement that Croatia's Defence Council has accepted the proposal for procurement of multi-purpose combat aircraft submitted by Israel.
The aircraft will be fully adapted to NATO standards and are expected to serve Croatia's air force for at least 25 years.
In October, Croatia's defence ministry said its international tender for the procurement of multi-purpose combat aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-designed MiG-21s has attracted four bids - from Greece, Israel, Sweden and the United States.
($=0.812633 euro)