Greece will purchase 18 Rafale F3R fighter jets and other necessary equipment for a total of €2 billion, according to French media.
€1.7 billion will be spent for 18 combat aircraft and €300 million for the armament provided by the European missile company MBDA (Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo, La Tribune reported.
The agreement between Athens and Paris for Greece to receive 6 new and 12 used Rafale fighter jets should be ratified in November.
The first French-made Rafale type aircraft will arrive in Greece in the middle of 2021, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said when answering a relevant question during a press conference at the Thessaloniki International Fair earlier this month, as reported by Greek City Times.
The Greek Air Force is acquiring a squadron of 18 Rafale fighter jets that will replace the older non-modernized Mirage-2000.
Greece's announcement to acquire 18 Rafale jets illustrates the strength of the partnership that has linked the Greek Air Force with French military industry for more than 45 years. It also demonstrates the enduring strategic relationship between Greece and France.
Athens ordered 40 Mirage F1 from Dassault Aviation in 1974, then 40 Mirage 2000 in 1985 and finally 15 Mirage 2000-5 in the year 2000; this latest contract also includes the modernization of 10 Mirage 2000 to the 2000-5 standard with a large contribution from Greek industry.
Mitsotakis also announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair that there are complete plan to rejuvenate the Greek arms industry and enhance the Greek military.
The Greek Prime Minister said “in recent years, the defense sector has experienced disinvestment after a period of high costs and ignored the armament programs. Well, it’s time to balance needs and opportunities. It is time to strengthen the Armed Forces as a legacy for the security of the country. But also as a supreme obligation to the Greeks, who will bear the cost. It is the price of our place on the map”.