A US inspection team will be visiting Athens soon to finalise the agreement stricken last weekend during a meeting held by Greece’s Government Council of Defense and Foreign Affairs (KYSEA) chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.
The board has reportedly approved a new program looking towards the upgrade of upgrading the Hellenic Air Force which will entail the acquisition of 85 F-16 fighter jets estimated to cost more than 1.1 billion euros.
“Following the Defence Minister briefing that the US side has initially accepted the reviewed Greek proposal, after taking into account the country’s fiscal engagements for the following years, the Council unanimously approved the upgrading of Greece’s fleet of 85 F-16 fighter jets,” a statement issued by the PM’s office said.
Currently, Greece has four types of F-16 fighters, many of which can not exchange tactical field information. The F-16 Viper aircraft will be transferred to the US for upgrades and should return to Greece by 2020 while the remaining 84 fighter jets will be upgraded on Greek soil by US mechanics.
The US has accepted the Greek proposal for payment in installments, commencing in 2020.
This news comes amidst increasing tension between Turkey and Greece; According to the Greek military, Turkish incursions into Greek airspace rose to 3,317 in 2017 from 1,269 in 2014, while maritime incursions rose to 1,998 from 371 in the same period.