According to a report by Reuters on October 8, two senior sources told this media that Greece has agreed to spend up to $4 billion (approximately 26.8 billion RMB) to upgrade more F-16 fighter jets and purchase advanced missiles from the United States. The day before, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Rubio visited Greece.
Greece has previously planned to spend approximately 28 billion euros (about 210 billion RMB) by 2036 to purchase American-made F-35 fighter jets and helicopters, as well as to build the "Ajax Shield"—a multi-layer anti-missile and air defense system using Israeli-made weapons.
This agreement includes providing new advanced missiles and bombs for the F-16 “Viper” , F-35 fighter jets, and Blackhawk helicopters. It also includes upgrading old F-16 fighter jets to the "Viper" version, according to a senior official at the Ministry of National Defense in an interview with Reuters.
The official added that most procurements have been incorporated into the Greek government's long-term defense plan, and will not put additional pressure on its finances.
A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the above content and added that related expenses will be divided over several years.
On the 7th, Rubio stated in Athens that the United States and Greece, two NATO allies, have reached a joint security plan regarding the sharing of counter-terrorism intelligence between law enforcement agencies.
In 2024, Greece agreed to purchase 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets and 35 Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The country is currently upgrading approximately 82 F-16 aircraft to the 'Viper' version, and plans to further upgrade another 37 F-16 Block 50 aircraft to the 'Viper' version at a cost of approximately $1 billion.
According to Reuters, this move is part of Greece’s efforts to modernize its armed forces, following the debt crisis from 2009 to 2018 and years of austerity policies.
Due to long-standing disputes with Turkey, Greece's defense spending accounts for nearly 3.5% of its GDP, which is a higher proportion than many other NATO countries.
