Greece signs deal to buy F-35 jets
ATHENS
Greece formally approved an offer to buy 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States as part of a major defense overhaul, government officials said on July 25.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said while visiting a military air base near Athens that the purchase would create “a powerful deterrent presence in our region.”
A letter of acceptance for the deal has been signed and sent to the U.S., he said.
Delivery of the fifth-generation jet made by Lockheed Martin is expected to start in 2028, while Greece maintains the option to purchase 20 additional F-35 jets as part of an $8.6 billion deal.
The purchase of the first 20 jets along with additional support will cost some $3.5 billion, Greek officials said.
Greece is overhauling its military in a decade-long program following a protracted financial crisis and continued tension with neighbor and NATO ally Türkiye, mostly over a volatile sea boundary dispute.
Türkiye was dropped from the F-35 program five years ago over its decision to buy Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, a move seen in the United States as compromising NATO security.
After a prolonged process that sometimes fueled tensions between the NATO allies, Türkiye last month signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the purchase of F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. Türkiye submitted the request to acquire 40 new Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft and 79 modernization kits to upgrade its remaining F-16s in October 2021.
In Athens, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis described the current military modernization campaign as the most significant in “many decades.”
“We will continue to implement this major program, equipping our country and armoring its defenses,” Marinakis said.
Athens has also acquired advanced French-made Rafale fighter jets.
Deliveries to the Greek air force began in 2021, starting with jets previously used by France’s military that will be supplemented by new aircraft built by French defense contractor Dassault Aviation.