Greece has agreed to spend up to $4 billion on upgrading its F 16 fighter jets and buying advanced US made missiles and weapons, according to two senior officials.
The deal includes upgrading older F 16s to the Viper standard and purchasing missiles and bombs for F 16 Vipers, F 35 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters. The spending will be spread over several years and is largely covered by Greece’s existing defence budget.
Greece has already committed about €28 billion through 2036 to acquire US made F 35 jets and helicopters and develop the Achilles Shield air defence system using Israeli made weapons.
The country agreed in 2024 to buy 20 F 35 fighter jets and 35 Sikorsky UH 60M Black Hawk helicopters. It is also upgrading about 82 F 16s to the Viper version and plans to upgrade another 37 Block 50 aircraft at a cost of about $1 billion.
The latest purchases are part of Greece’s wider effort to modernise its military following years of austerity after its 2009 to 2018 debt crisis.
Greece spends nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defence, partly because of its long running dispute with neighbouring Turkey.
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