How Turkey and Sweden Complicate Sale of US F-35s to Greece

The proposed sale by the US of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Greece is being delayed due to the complex geopolitics of Washington’s relations with Turkey.

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis said in an interview with Skai TV on Saturday that it was only a matter of time before Greece joined the F-35 program.

Before the U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to Greece last weekend, Gerapetritis said: “The fighter jets would significantly upgrade the country’s defense. We will discuss this issue (during Blinken’s visit). I believe there will be positive developments.”

Last June, the prospective sale was approved by US Senator Jim Risch, the most senior Republican on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

In February 2023, the then-committee’s chair, US Senator Bob Menendez, approved the deal. Additionally, Republican co-chair Michael McCaul and Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the committee, have also expressed their support for it.

With the required approvals secured, the next step will be for the US government to notify Congress about the sale of F-35s to Greece, initiating the prescribed procedure for the contract’s ratification.

F-35 sale to Greece delayed

However, more than six months later, no such move has been made.

Greece submitted a Letter of Request for a Letter of Acceptance (LOR for LOA) to the United States as early as June 2022. The initial letter of request was centered on the procurement of 20 F-35A aircraft with the option for an additional 20, totaling 40 aircraft over time.

Despite initial assurances, Washington has essentially tied the acceptance response to Athens with the progress of the request made by Ankara for the acquisition of new F-16 “Viper” planes and the upgrade of older ones.

The US reportedly wanted to simultaneously announce the sale of the Turkish F-16s and the Greek F-35s to maintain some semblance of balance in the Aegean. Nevertheless, the continued holdup of Sweden’s NATO accession prevents the request for F-16s from being approved. This is causing a delay in the F-35s as well.

Last October, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a bill to the country’s Parliament approving Sweden’s NATO membership. However, the Parliament is delaying the ratification of this bill.

Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) Executive Director Endy Zemenides said in a recent letter to Blinken that the progress of Greek-American relations should not be affected by the dysfunctional relationship observed between Washington and Ankara.

The F-35 is a stealth, fifth-generation, multirole combat aircraft, designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions.

It is built by Lockheed Martin and many subcontractors, including Northrup Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, and BAE Systems.