Greece has reached an agreement with the United States worth up to $4 billion to procure weapons and upgrade its F-16 fighter aircraft, according to Reuters.
The proposed package includes modernising older F-16s to the Viper configuration and supplying advanced missiles and bombs for Greece’s F-16 Vipers, planned F-35 fleet, and Black Hawk helicopters.
Greece continues to invest heavily in defence modernisation, allocating nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defence, Reuters reported. The country plans to spend approximately €28 billion ($31 billion) on upgrading its armed forces through 2036.
According to European Defence Agency figures, Greece’s defence expenditure reached €6.9 billion last year, equivalent to 2.8% of GDP.
Greece Advances Its F-16 Viper Upgrade Programme
Greece received its 60th F-16 Viper in September as Lockheed Martin and Hellenic Aerospace Industry continue upgrading the country’s existing fighter fleet.
The upgraded aircraft feature advanced APG-83 electronically scanned array radars, new mission computers, and modernised cockpit displays, enhancing their operational capabilities.
The conversion programme is being carried out at Hellenic Aerospace Industry’s facilities in Tanagra, north of Athens, with technical support from Lockheed Martin. Deliveries of upgraded fighters are scheduled to continue through 2027.
Greece received its first two F-16 Vipers in September 2022, four years after approving the upgrade programme.
The original agreement, signed in 2018, was valued at $1.45 billion. It followed an earlier US proposal to upgrade 120 aircraft at an estimated cost exceeding $2.4 billion.
The latest agreement highlights Greece’s continued focus on strengthening its air combat capabilities through advanced weapons procurement, fighter modernisation, and long-term defence investment.
