Athens, Greece — Greece formally approved a bid to buy 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States as part of a major defense reform, government officials said Thursday.
“The letter of acceptance of the F-35s has been signed and sent to the United States,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said during his visit to a military air base near Athens.
The purchase, he said, would create “a powerful deterrent presence in our region.”
Delivery of the fifth-generation aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin is expected to begin in 2028, while Greece maintains the option to buy 20 additional F-35 aircraft as part of an $8.6 billion deal.
The purchase of the first 20 planes along with additional support will cost about $3.5 billion, Greek officials said.
Greece is restructuring its military in a decade-long program following a prolonged financial crisis and continued tensions with its neighbor and NATO ally Turkey, mainly over a volatile maritime border dispute.
Turkey was withdrawn from the F-35 program five years ago over its decision to purchase the Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system, a move seen in the United States as a compromise to NATO security.
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 important program, equipping our country and armoring its defenses,” Marinakis said.
Athens has been seeking an advantage in the air since Turkey’s exclusion from F-35 purchases and has also acquired advanced French-made Rafale fighter jets. Deliveries to the Greek air force began in 2021, starting with aircraft previously used by the French military that will be complemented by new aircraft built by French defense contractor Dassault Aviation.
The US State Department in January approved the sale that could eventually total 40 F-35 aircraft, along with 42 engines, as well as services and equipment including secure communications devices, electronic warfare systems, training, logistics and maintenance support.
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