An official request from Greece for the supply of up to 49 Black Hawk helicopters has been received by the Defense Cooperation Office at the US Embassy, according to ERT.
Specifically, according to the information, these are two different requests to the US, from the Ministry of Defence, which asks to know the availability and prices for the new type of C-130, the so-called Super Hercules, as well as for the helicopters Black Hawk Sikorsky.
In fact, according to the Greek military structure, Black Hawks will be the main type of Special Operations helicopter since they can carry heavy weapons such as machine guns, rockets and Hellfire missiles.
According to the ERT report, the Greek Armed Forces are trying, after many decades, to achieve uniformity, as there are currently 18 different types of helicopters in the army, air force, navy and security forces.
“A potential purchase of Black Hawks for the Army and Air Force will allow, through commonality, to significantly reduce the operating costs of helicopters and of course through the common supply chain a better operational readiness is achieved,” noted Lockheed Martin’s Director of Business Development Rotary and Mission Systems Grigoris Koutsoyiannis.
Meanwhile, the response of the American government to the request from our country for the purchase of 20 F-35 fighter jets, with the prospect of purchasing another 20 in the future, is expected immediately.
As recently pointed out by the Minister of National Defence, Mr. Nikos Panagiotopoulos, the F-35 purchase is a done deal.
“It is closed. Both from the side of the Greek government and from the side of the USA”, he said in a TV interview about the purchase of American fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.
The first aircraft will arrive in 2028-2029, while Greece is expected to acquire 20 to 24 aircraft, as Mr. Panagiotopoulos mentioned.
The Minister emphasised the role that the characteristics of the aircraft, mainly the exchange of data, will play in the capabilities of the Greek Air Force.
“At the same time, the Air Force will need to develop infrastructure to support these aircraft.”
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