Talks with Lockheed Martin to improve Greece’s 38 F-16C/D Block 50s stay stalled, whereas new jets received’t arrive earlier than 2031 and can want maintenance quickly after.
Reviews from Greece have once more emerged saying the nation would possibly go for an extra order of F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, along with the 20 it signed on for in 2024. That is due to the “sluggish” tempo of the five-year-long negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the improve of its 38 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, in service since 1997.
The improve may not occur earlier than the tip of the last decade (presumably 2031-32), and would nonetheless ship a comparatively out of date variant, not absolutely optimized to group up with the F-35A and the Rafale, in keeping with Ekathimereni and Greek Reporter. Moderately, its 83-84 F-16 Block 52/52+ at the moment being upgraded to the F-16V Viper Block 72 commonplace, 40 of which have been delivered as far as per Opex360, can be extra fitted to the position.
Greece signed on Jul. 25, 2024, a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for 20 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II plane beneath the U.S. FMS (International Navy Gross sales) route in a $3.5 billion deal. The LOA included an possibility for an extra 20 plane, which Athens is now contemplating, as per the studies. It should nevertheless be famous that no closing determination has been introduced, as different studies stated that negotiations are within the closing stage.
🇬🇷Athens is contemplating increasing its stealth fighter program by ordering 12 extra F-35 jets, on prime of the 20 already beneath manufacturing for the Hellenic Air Pressure, with the primary anticipated for supply in 2028.
By the tip of the last decade, Greece expects to subject 209 fighter jets:8… pic.twitter.com/iSlHbdCBPq
— Ictinus ®️ (@ictinus_x) September 12, 2025
HAF F-16 improve plans
The HAF is at the moment upgrading 84 of its F-16C/D Block 52+ plane to the F-16V Viper Block 72 configuration, as per a 2018 contract to Lockheed Martin. The F-16V Viper designation is given to plane upgraded to the Block 70/72 commonplace, relatively than newly constructed airframes. This improve program will proceed till 2027.
The HAF’s F-16V Vipers would have the APG-83 AESA radar, Modular Mission Laptop, enhanced avionics, Computerized Floor Collision Avoidance System and improved cockpit shows and controls, “making Greece’s F-16V fleet among the many most superior in Europe,” Lockheed Martin’s vp of technique and enterprise improvement Mara Motherway’s assertion to Ekathimereni on Could 14, 2025, on the sidelines of DEFEA 2025.
Παραλαβή των 2 Πρώτων Εκσυγχρονισμένων Αεροσκαφών F-16 Viper pic.twitter.com/YQ1vFibYoh
— Hellenic Air Pressure (@HAFspokesperson) September 13, 2022
The HAF initially deliberate to improve all of its 121-122 Block 50/52+/52+ Superior to the F-16V Viper Block 70/72 commonplace. Nevertheless, it then determined to incorporate solely the Block 52+ and Block 52+ Superior variants in this system, after which undertake an in-house improve of the 38 F-16C/Ds Block 50s through the use of gear faraway from the Block 52 airframes in the course of the Viper Block 70 improve.
Hellenic Aerospace Business (EAB) was to collaborate with Lockheed Martin on this entrance. This might have introduced the Block 50s to the Block 50M (Modernized) or the Block 52+/Block 52+ Superior commonplace, with the structural SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) including 2,000 extra flight hours.
Veteranos reported in Could 2022 these 38 F-16C/D Block 50s, assigned to the 111th Fighter Wing’s 341st Squadron “Velos” and 347th Squadron “Perseus” – concerned within the periodic interceptions with Turkish Air Pressure F-16s, would have “dramatically elevated” capabilities. The destiny of the older F-16C/D Block 30s acquired within the late Eighties, in service beneath the HAF’s 111th Wing, just isn’t clear.
Out of date upgrades
Ekathimereni stated that the “risk of activating the choice to obtain […] 8-12 extra F-35s […] after 2030 as a substitute of upgrading the 38 F-16 Block 50 to Block 52 requirements is now being examined with specific consideration,” parallel to the “sluggish” inconclusive five-year-old negotiations.
The Could 2025 Ekathimereni report, that touched upon the “sluggish however regular progress” within the talks and a go to by the HAF Basic Workers chief Lt. Gen. Dimosthenis Grigoriadis to the USA later that month, additionally make clear how the cheaper price level would commerce off important upgrades.
F-16 Block 50: Η Πολεμική Αεροπορία προχωρά χωρίς παρεκκλίσεις το πρόγραμμα αναβάθμισης για τα 38 μαχητικά
— Kostas Sarikas 🇬🇷 (@SarikasKostas) September 15, 2025
“Consultations […] centered on drastically lowering the price. The 2 sides are engaged on methods to include prices [by] prioritizing methods which might be thought of important. [But this] mustn’t have an effect on the interoperability of the fighter jet, since this is able to nullify the aim of the improve,” added the report.
Greek Reporter, whereas placing the quantity Lockheed Martin agreed to at $980 million, a lot decrease than the preliminary estimate of $2.1 billion, additionally added how the brand new SLEP-configured Block 50s would wish “additional interventions” by the “finish of the following decade.”
“That is the principle motive that has led the Greek facet to think about the potential of merely including some extra F-35s to the Hellenic Air Pressure fleet, which, in any case, could have a number of capabilities and will likely be operationally energetic for an additional half a century, in distinction to the upgraded F-16 Block 50s,” Ekathimereni newest report added.
OnAlert nevertheless reported on Sep. 15: “Negotiations between the Air Workers and the US facet are actually at a sophisticated stage, whereas this system has obtained the inexperienced gentle from each the army and political management. All the pieces is continuing in keeping with plan, prime army sources make clear, and the sending of the Letter of Request (LOR) to the USA within the coming months will mark the official begin of probably the most essential armament packages of the final decade.”
Greek F-35As
To function and maintain its present purchase of 20 F-35As, slated to be delivered from 2028, the Greek authorities has additionally undertaken a collection of infrastructure improve work. In line with the Greek Metropolis Occasions, Andravida Air Base will endure a “NATO commonplace […] €300 million modernization” that includes new services like “bolstered plane shelters, superior surveillance methods, fiber optic networks, and a rebuilt management tower.”
The improve plan, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Air Pressure, includes phased building and stringent certification processes. Fourteen HAF pilots and 60 technicians had been additionally scheduled to affix the F-35 Joint Program Workplace in Virginia for specialised coaching by summer time of this 12 months.
The Hellenic Air Pressure is about to start coaching its first F-35 pilots by September, with 14 pilots and 60 technicians heading to the USA this summer time. pic.twitter.com/GqEWp5IOKl
— Ictinus ®️ (@ictinus_x) April 25, 2025
Motherway had instructed Ekathimereni in Could 2025 that the manufacturing of the Greek F-35s would start as part of the Lot 20 order, with the primary supply in late 2028 and the primary plane arrival in Greece by 2030. “All of Greece’s jets will likely be within the newest out there configuration,” Motherway had stated, referring to the TR3 (Expertise Refresh 3) software program code to allow the Block 4 upgrades.
Strengthening alliances, securing the skies. 💪✈️
Europe’s skies are safer with the F-35. For Greece and NATO allies, it’s a game-changer for interoperability, sovereignty and readiness. pic.twitter.com/ZW8gLxbXV9
— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) September 6, 2025
Rafales
As for the Rafales, we reported Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsosakis’ wide-ranging interview to Defence Evaluation in November 2024, the place he revealed that Athens is not going to purchase extra of the French jets, and can proceed with its fleet of 24 plane. As talked about earlier, the identical interview additionally revealed Greece’s plan to think about shopping for extra F-35As – both all the elective 20 or a few of them.
