The handover ceremony of the first Greek Rafale fighter aircraft took place at the ISTRES air base in southern France.
In the near future, the Air Force will be joined by an additional 17 fighters, resulting in the upgrade of its operational capabilities.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the head of the Greek military, General Konstantinos Floros, who stressed that Rafale "is a product of our efforts to continuously strengthen our deterrent capabilities in order to secure our airspace in the most convincing way."
"This very powerful fighter aircraft with its impressive capabilities that we all know very well, as well as with the number of missions it can undertake, offers our country a clear strategic advantage and brings the Greek Armed Forces in a new era," Floros stressed.
He added that the agreement to purchase the Rafale jets was "tangible proof of the excellent bilateral relations between France and Greece."
According to the agreement, the Air Force expects to receive from France six twin-engine fighter jets at the end of 2021, 12 at the end of 2022 and 18 in the summer of 2023.
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