GREECE IS CONSIDERING the acquisition of 25-30 F-35As to replace the Hellenic Air Force’s (HAF’s) oldest 23 F-16C/D Block 30 jets in service with 330 Mira at Nea Anchialos air base.
During a visit to the ‘Iniohos 2019’ exercise at Andravida air base on April 5, Greek defense minister Evangelos Apostolakis briefed journalists, ‘Beyond the upgrade of the F-16, we are in the process of selecting a new aircraft for Greece, so we can gradually move to the new generation.’
The US ambassador to Greece, Geo_ rey R. Pyatt, also commented on Greek F-35 interest and connected it with the F-16V upgrade program: ‘It is obviously very cool to have the F-35 here [at Andravida], the world’s most capable fighter aircraft. The F-16 ‘Viper’ upgrade program that we have already launched is part of helping Greece to make the transition from a fourth-generation fighter to a fifthgeneration platform like the F-35. This is a natural progression… so we very much welcome Greece’s interest… and we see the ‘Viper’ upgrade as a natural stepping-stone to a future F-35 program.’
According to Greek media, Athens has already sent a letter of request (LOR) to Lockheed Martin for cost and availability of the F-35.
Greece is enhancing 84 of its most modern F-16C/D Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced jets to F-16V configuration. In December 2018 the US Department of Defense awarded Lockheed Martin a $996.8-million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract to perform the upgrade work. The initial two platforms will be modernized in Fort Worth, Texas, and the remaining 82 will undergo the process at the Hellenic Aircraft Industry facilities in Tanagra, Greece.
The Greek F-16V upgrade work is scheduled to be complete by June 2027. The HAF aims to keep its F-16Vs in service until 2048 at least. Igor Bozinovski
