Arms race between Serbia and the Republic of Croatia in the 21st Century Controversial Rafale procurements in the Western Balkans

Abstract

The armed conflicts that have appeared in recent years have encouraged governments to arm themselves across Europe, and the two Western Balkan countries are no exception. The dynamically changing security environment also contributed to the significant increase in defense spending and the acquisition of weapons, which are essential for national security. While Croatia, relying on its experience of the Yugoslav crisis and its alliances, relies primarily on its Western partners, Serbia typically prefers defense industry procurement from Russia and China. After Croatia announced in 2021 that it would replace its MiG-21s with fourth-generation used Dassault Rafales, Serbia also reachedan agreement with the French aircraft manufacturer in 2024. The study aims to compare the diversified defense purchases of the two countries, with a particular focus on fighter aircraft orders.