At 15:30 local time in Athens, the deal for Greece to acquire 18 French-made Rafale fighter jets was signed.
It was announced only days ago that French Defense Minister Florence Parly would visit Athens today to sign the agreement for Greece’s purchase of 18 Dassault-made Rafale fighter jets.
Greek MPs approved six new and 12 used Rafale aircraft from France for €2.5 billion ($3.04 billion) earlier this month.
Parley stressed that Greece is the first European country to acquire these aircraft, the effectiveness of which has been seen in the field of operations.
She also expressed her happiness to visit Athens again this year for the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, in which Paris played a decisive role in Greece's independence from the Ottoman Empire.
Signature à #Athènes 🇬🇷du contrat de vente de 18 #Rafale à la Grèce entre @HellenicGDDIA - @Hellenic_MOD et les entreprises françaises 🇫🇷 @Dassault_OnAir @byMBDA @SAFRAN @thalesgroup @Armees_Gouv pic.twitter.com/7ZPHvmiWud
— La France en Grèce 🇨🇵🇪🇺 (@FranceenGrece) January 25, 2021
The first six used aircraft will begin to be received from July this year at a rate of one per month.
The six new aircraft will be delivered in the spring of 2022, while the last six used aircraft will be delivered in early 2023.
