US approves Hellenic F-16 fleet upgrades

4th August 2021 - 17:08 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Hellenic Air Force (HAF) F-16V upgrades will deliver a significant increase in capability for the HAF combat aircraft fleet at a fraction of the cost of procuring new aircraft. (Image: Lockheed Martin)

An FMS has been approved by the US State Department for F-16 support and equipment to be delivered to Greece.

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of F-16 sustainment materiel, services and related equipment to Greece.

The contract has an estimated value of $270 million.

The contract includes engineering, technical, and logistics support services for a range F-16 support programmes including aircraft structural integrity, aircrew training device and reconnaissance pods support.

Software support has also been contracted for information distribution systems, joint mission planning software and other classified and unclassified aircraft software.

This sale will provide agile logistics support to Greece’s F-16 programme, encompassing aspects of aircrew training and aircraft maintenance.

The ability to provide this level of support to the F-16 programme will increase its interoperability with NATO forces and enhance its ability to provide security of its borders.

Greece views this modernisation programme as crucial to maintaining national security, an issue which has been emphasised by the tense situation in July-August 2020 with Turkey, during which both nations put their fleets on high alert.

Relations between the states have since normalised and the leaders of the states pledged to maintain a dialogue during a NATO summit in June 2021.

The principal contractors for this proposed sale are L3/Harris, Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Atec.