Greece became the newest customer for the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, when it signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) from the United States government on Thursday (15). In total, Athens is purchasing 20 “radar-invisible” planes, with options for 20 more.
“Greece is building a powerful military by purchasing the most modern combat aircraft in the world”, celebrated the Greek Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, when announcing the g of the LOA. Greece will pay US$3,76 billion for the new fighters. The purchase also includes the training of technicians and pilots in the United States, acquisition of weapons, adaptation of infrastructure and installation of flight simulators. Deliveries are only expected to start in 2028 and should continue until 2033.
The purchase of the planes comes during a major modernization for the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). The organization is acquiring Dassault Rafale fighters from , while modernizing its F-16 Fighting Falcons to the Block 70 standard and retiring older models such as the F-4 Phantom II, Mirage 2000 and F-16 Block 30.
“The F-35 will provide exceptional capability for the Hellenic Air Force, build interoperability between our allies and strengthen combat effectiveness for the entire NATO,” said Air Force Lieutenant General mike schmidt, director and executive of the F-35 t Program Office.
“For several decades, the Hellenic Air Force has been our partner, and it is an honor to continue this relationship while Greece becomes the 19th nation to the F-35 program, said Bridget Lauderdale, vice president of Lockheed Martin and general manager of the F-35 program.
The announcement of the Greek purchase also comes at a time of recovery for the program. Just last week, Lockheed Martin Chief Operating Officer Frank St. John confirmed the delivery of the 1000th F-35 manufactured, with the resumption of receipt of jets by the Pentagon. The delivery of the planes had been suspended since August last year due to software problems.
Despite the problems, demand for the F-35 remains high, especially with dynamic changes in the international security landscape.
