Croatian Minister of Defence Anušić: If a drone enters Croatian airspace, Rafales will be scrambled

(Patria) - Croatian Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić commented on the visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Croatia, noting that it was a routine visit and that they discussed the implementation of European decisions and policies.

"Practically all companies participating in production in the defense industry were present. They had the opportunity to talk and present themselves. We continue to support and back the industry because it is very important to us, it can and does raise Croatia's economic competitiveness in the world and Europe," said Anušić.

"When we talk about protecting our airspace, for the past ten days it has been protected by Rafales, radar systems, and air defense systems," he continued. When asked if Rafales would be scrambled in case drones entered Croatian airspace, he answered affirmatively.

"Of course, Rafales will be scrambled. The system that was supposed to function, if we had received information in time that a drone was approaching Croatia, it would probably have ended differently, even when the drone fell. Unfortunately, we only received information when we spotted them on our radars, by then it was too late," he stated.

He emphasized that Rutte visited the on-duty combat pair and gave his analysis and overview of the readiness situation. "Within 15 minutes, Rafales are in the air, in case of any call," Anušić stated.

He addressed the accusations made by President Zoran Milanović, who stated that France sold used planes to Croatia while Serbia will receive new ones.

"Croatia currently has its Croatian Air Force fully operational, while Serbia does not yet have those Rafales, they will only receive them in a few years. But, something else is most important, which the president omitted, and that is that Croatia is a member of NATO and that Croatia, along with the Rafales, has access to certain systems that Serbia cannot have on those same Rafales," he said.

"It can be clearly concluded that our Rafales are much more operational and ready than the Serbian ones will be," Anušić announced.

He also spoke about mandatory military service. "The first calls have been sent out, we are currently maintaining a level of 4,000 conscripts per year, with a tendency to increase this number if there is a need or interest. The first thousand calls have been sent for medical examinations, which will begin in the coming days," he confirmed.

"Everything is going according to plan, as we announced, without any problems or delays. We are all coordinated and integrated into this large project, including the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of the Interior. I hope it will all go well when it actually starts," he concluded.