The first six Rafale fighter jets of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) landed in Tanagra AFB today, Wednesday 19 January.

The French fighters left Istria, France for the 114th Battle Wing, Greece with Greek pilots in their cockpits.

Before landing at Tanagra, where they joined the 332 Squadron, they flew over the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis.

Following their entry into the Athens FIR, the Rafales were accompanied by a pair of Mirage 2000-5 Mk2 fighter jets.

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed them in Tanagra, along with the Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS) General Konstantinos Floros, the Chief of the of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff, Rear Admiral Georgios Blioumis and the French Ambassador to Athens, Patrick Maisonnave.

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It is recalled that the contract for the purchase of 24 Rafale fighter jets (of which 12 new and 12 used) was signed about a year ago -on January 25, 2021- by the Minister of National Defense Nikos Panayotopoulos and his French counterpart Florence Parly. Their cost is 3.3 billion Euros along with the weapons they carry.

The training of the first eight Greek pilots and 50 aircraft technicians has already been completed in France, by personnel of the manufacturer Dassault.