Greece has agreed to spend up to $4 billion on US weapons, fighter jet modernization and military equipment support. This was reported by “Reuters“, citing two senior Greek sources. The agreement was reached after the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Athens.
“The agreement includes new modern missiles and bombs for F-16 Viper and F-35 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters. The older F-16 fighter jets are also planned to be upgraded to the Viper version, a senior Greek Defense Ministry official told Reuters.
He said most of the acquisitions were already included in the government's multi-year defense plan and would not put additional pressure on state finances. A senior Greek Foreign Ministry official confirmed the agreement and said the costs would be spread over several years.
What's in the package
Greece will provide new armaments for its US-made F-16 Viper and F-35 fighter jets, as well as UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. In parallel, Athens plans to upgrade 37 more F-16 Block 50 aircraft to Viper standard. The value of this part of the program is about $1 billion.
In 2024, Greece agreed to purchase 20 F-35 fighters from “Lockheed Martin“ and 35 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The country has already upgraded about 82 F-16 aircraft to the Viper version, which includes more modern control, communication and target detection systems.
According to the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini“, about $1.2 billion of the new package will be directed towards missiles and precision bombs for the F-16 and F-35. Additional funds are earmarked for maintenance of older F-16s and for the subsequent maintenance of MH-60 and Black Hawk helicopters.
Part of a broader program
The new agreement is part of a larger plan by Athens to renew its armed forces. Greece plans to spend about 28 billion euros by 2036 on American fighter jets and helicopters, as well as on the construction of a multi-layered anti-ballistic and anti-aircraft system called the “Achilles Shield“. It will use Israeli-made weapons.
After talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rubio said that the United States and Greece had reached an agreement on a joint security plan. It provides for the exchange of information between law enforcement agencies of the two countries to combat terrorism.
Greece spends about 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defense. Athens justifies the accelerated modernization of the army with the need to maintain compatibility with its NATO allies and strengthen its defense capabilities.
Sources: srnnews.com, ekathimerini.com, kathimerini.gr