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| Greece Buys The 20 F-35 Fighters |
Athens - Greece's dream to have the United States (US) F-35 fighter jet seems in sight. The fifth generation F-35 fighter aircraft will be in the possession of Greece after negotiations with the United States. To strengthen the armed forces of Greece and NATO's eastern and southeastern wings, the F-35 has now been ordered by Athens.
Some time ago, Turkey's main rival immediately started negotiations with the US regarding the purchase of the F-35 fifth-generation fighter. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed his country's efforts to have the US warplanes.
Quoted from the Eurasian Times., Mitsotakis said "We will launch the process of acquiring a squadron of F-35 aircraft, and we hope to add this fantastic aircraft to the Greek Air Force before the end of the decade."
The Greek prime minister noted that bilateral relations between Athens and Washington are currently at the highest level, as evidenced by the recently signed defense and cooperation agreements.
In particular, the Greek navy and NATO forces have cooperated at naval bases at Souda Bay in Crete and at the port of Alexandroupolis, which lies about 500 miles south of the Ukrainian border. Mitsotakis also pointed to the need for the US and Europe to stand together in support of Ukraine and the core values of liberal democracy.
Mitsotakis called for further sanctions against Russia, stressing the need to bring down high energy prices that have weighed on the population. In addition, he urged Biden to promote the resumption of negotiations on a Cyprus settlement.
Quoted from Reuters, Greece has sent an official request to the United States for the purchase of 20 F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin. This was conveyed by the prime minister of Greece on Thursday 30 June 2022.
NATO member Greece spends more than 2% of its gross domestic product on defense spending. It has stepped up its military purchases in recent years as tensions with its neighbor, historic rival and NATO ally Turkey, have resurfaced.
Greece is also examining the purchase of a second batch of jets. Mitsotakis reveals that sending a request is the first step in a multi-stage process. The government expects deliveries of the jets to begin in 2027-2028.
Greece and Turkey have been at loggerheads for decades over a range of issues ranging from aviation in the Aegean and the extent of their continental shelf and maritime boundaries to energy resources and ethnically divided Cyprus.
Mitsotakis first referred to the purchase of F-35 jets during his visit to the United States in May. Greece ordered 24 Dassault-made Rafale jets last year for 2.5 billion euros ($2.60 billion) and three naval frigates with an option for a fourth from France for around 3 billion euros.