Greece and France have signed a $2.8-billion agreement for the purchase of 18 Rafale fighter jets for the Greek air force in Athens this week.
With this deal, Greece will become the first European country to acquire the state-of-the-art Rafale jet fighters, made by France’s Dassault company.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly said she was pleased that Greece had made a “resolutely European choice” by buying the French-made aircraft.
The purchase comes in the same week as the 61st round of discussions between Greece and Turkey kicked off, the first in nearly five years.
READ MORE: EU condemns Turkey for its “unilateral and provocative actions”, backs Greece and Cyprus
The jets will be used in mid-air skirmishes with long-time Turkish rivals over Aegean airspace, and is the first major arms purchase which Greece has made since its debt crisis caused budget cuts on various sectors, including defence.