The negotiations and acquisition procedures of the French Rafale fighters will be at the centre of today’s meeting of the special standing committee on armament programs and contracts in the Parliament, with the Minister of National Defence Nikos Panagiotopoulos informing the committee which will meet at 13:00.

The acquisition of French fighters from Greece will take place gradually within the next three years.

In particular, the Hellenic Air Force will receive the first six fighter jets at the end of 2021, while the next six will be delivered at the end of 2022. In the summer of 2023, the Air Force expects to have a total of 18 Rafale fighter jets at its disposal

The first four Greek pilots of the Hellenic Air Force will travel to France at the beginning of the new year for the relevant training.

Also read: The Greek armament program is underway – The “Rafale” agreements are signed

The agreement

In September this year, during the presentation of government priorities by the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had already announced reinforcement measures for the Armed Forces both in terms of personnel and operation-wise through the purchase and upgrade of armament systems as well as the modernization of the Hellenic Defence Industry.

In this context, the Prime Minister announced that the Air Force will proceed immediately with the acquisition of a squadron of 18 Rafale fighter jets replacing the old Mirage.

Three months later, the commitment of Kyriakos Mitsotakis becomes a reality with coordinated and targeted actions as the acquisition of the aircraft is a complex and large armament program.

In order for this to happen, the Minister of National Defence, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, had successive extensive talks with the French Minister of Defence, Mrs. Florence Parley.

At the same time, the competent authorities approved the supply of 18 Rafale fighter jets. Of these, six – 2 two-seater and 4 single-seater jets – will be new, while twelve will be used (2 two-seater and 10 single-seater jets).

The aircraft will be acquired by the French Air Force along with the necessary weapons, support equipment, spare parts and subsequent support services.

Also read: Nikos Panagiotopoulos | All armament programs – “The budget of 2021 amounts to 5.44 billion”

Cost and equipment

The total cost amounts to 1.92 billion euros for the 18 fighter jets and 400 million euros for their weapons.

Aircraft weapons include Meteor guided missiles as well as the necessary upgrades to existing missiles – Mica, Scalp and Exocet – to be used in new aircraft.

Greece is acquiring both new and used Rafale fighter jets based on their immediate delivery, in order to increase the operational capability of the Hellenic Air Force in a short period of time.

At the same time, in this way, the cost is significantly reduced in order to allocate resources to other essential weapon systems of the three branches of the Armed Forces.

French Rafale fighter jets

The Rafale is a fully omnirole fighter capable of performing a variety of missions simultaneously. It is the most modern and efficient in the European defence industry.

Rafale can transfer the existing special weapons of the Greek arsenal without the need for new investments in infrastructure and technical capabilities.

The arrival time frame of the fighter jets

The first six used fighter jets will be delivered to the Air Force six months after the signing of the relevant contract, that is, in June 2021. The arrival rate will be one per month.

Six new aircraft will be delivered twenty months after the contract is signed also at a rate of one per month.

The last six used Rafale aircraft will be received 26 months after the signing of the contract.

It is noted that the French side met the requirements of the Hellenic Air Force regarding the condition of the used aircraft. In this context, the manufacturing company Dassault Aviation provides the guarantee of their good operation.

Also read: Greek Armaments Program | The day after – VIDEO

Source: ANA MPA