(ANSA-AFP) - ZAGREB, APR 25 - Croatia on Thursday received the first six of a dozen used Rafale fighter jets it has bought from France in its biggest arms purchase since its 1990s war of independence. The warplanes touched down in the capital Zagreb, heralding a major overall of Croatia's air force which is replacing its fleet of ageing Soviet-era MiGs. Outgoing Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and other top officials held an arrival ceremony for the planes, flown over by Croatian pilots following months of training in France. "Modernization of the fighter fleet is the biggest investment... into the Croatian army and the security of our homeland," Defence Minister Ivan Anusic said Thursday in a message posted on X. In 2021, Croatia agreed to buy the 12 jets in a deal worth one billion euros ($1.3 billion), its biggest arms purchase since it fought to separate from Yugoslavia three decades ago. (ANSA-AFP).