On Friday, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of up to forty F-35 fighter jets and respective equipment to Greece in an $8.6 billion deal.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a video statement that, as part of the deal, the Greek state will also receive significant military aid at no extra cost. This would include frigates, C-130 transport aircraft, armored tanks, and vehicles.
“This is the result of a methodical, quiet and long effort, which combined Greece’s consistency as an ally on the international fronts with the promotion of its national interests,” said the Greek PM. “A result which consolidates, at the same time, the dynamic and independent Greek-American strategic relationship.”
Mitsotakis’ official request to the US for the purchase of twenty Lockheed Martin-made F-35 fighter jets was submitted in 2022.
Greece’s airspace defense ability improved with F-35 acquisition
The U.S. State Department estimates that the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Greece will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States by improving the air capabilities and interoperability of a NATO Ally that is a force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the State Department commented in its respective announcement.
It added that the deal would allow Greece to modernize its air force and improve Greece’s ability to provide for the defense of its airspace, contribute to NATO missions to preserve regional security and defend NATO Allies, and maintain interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces.
According to the State Department, the F-35 will offset the increasing obsolescence of other Hellenic Air Force aircraft, such as the F-4 and Mirage 2000.
“Greece will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” it opined.
The following steps for sealing the deal will include approval for the sale by the U.S. Congress. Negotiations should then begin for the conclusion of the contract, defining the delivery schedules, equipment, and method of financing.
Sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey
On Friday, a day after Ankara fully completed ratification of NATO membership of Sweden, the U.S. State Department sent the notification to advance the sale of forty new F-16 fighter jets and eighty modernization kits to Turkey. This was a request first made in October 2021.
According to Reuters, the simultaneous approval of the requests for the sale of fighter jets to both Greece and Turkey signals that Washington is trying to strike a balance between two alliance members with a history of tense relations.
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