According to government sources, Greece will spend 10 billion Euros to enhance the Hellenic Armed Forces.
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the French President Emmanuel Macron are said to have agreed the start of negotiations that may result to Greece buying 18 Rafale fighter jets.
According to the information thus far, 10 will be of newly built airplanes, meaning they will be of the latest Rafale C F3-R variant, and the remaining 8 will be older versions that will be delivered from the French Air Force as “hot transfer”.
The most impressive element of the agreement, though, appears to that the 8 older aircraft will be given to Greece for free!
The same information point out that what remains is for the negotiations to proceed to settle the critical details of the planned agreement.
If the specific program progresses even if the 8 used fighters belong to the F1 & F2 variants, these aircraft can carry out interception missions with the RBE2 radar and the MICA EM/IR missiles.
Greek and Turkish F-16 jets engage in dog fights over the Aegean Sea
But the real force multiplier will be the F3-Rs which in combination with the RBE2 AA radar of AESA technology and the BVR METEOR missiles with their amazing capabilities (100 km range, 60 km no escape zone, 4 mach speed) will definately change the tactical situation in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The acquisition of even this small number of fighters in combination with the 24 Mirage 2000-5 MkII will be the most effective fleet of interceptor fighters in the region.
In addition, Rafale’s ability to utilize the AM-39 Exocet and SCALP EG missiles maintains, if not extending, the country’s existing capabilities at anti-ship and strategic strike missions.
But that is not all. The government will try to upgrade the defence forces of the country with fast track procedures.
The programs will include spare parts for the increase of the availabilities as well as the re-negotiation of the Belh@rra frigates, anti-submarine helicopters, new torpedoes among others.
