Greece’s goals to acquire new fighter jets and upgrade its existing air force could see the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) attain a very formidable qualitative edge over its Turkish rival by the end of the 2020s.

Greece and Turkey are presently locked in an increasingly tense and dangerous standoff in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean over hydrocarbon drilling rights and the delineation of their maritime boundaries.

Amid these tensions, Athens is in negotiations with its ally France over future arms deals that might include the procurement of formidable French 4.5-generation Dassault Rafale jets. Greek possession of such jets could pose a significant challenge to Turkish jets over the Aegean and Mediterranean.

“We are in talks with France, and not only with France, in order to increase our country’s defense potential,” a Greek official told Reuters in early September, adding that these talks include “the purchase of aircraft”.

See Also:

Tragedy in the Greek Armed Forces: Paratrooper killed during exercise

Turkey demolished “Hagia Sophia of Prusa”

Read more: Forbes