Greece Completes Rafale Order with Delivery of 24th Fighter Jet

The Rafale is simply a 4.5-generation multi-role combatant known for its precocious avionics, weaponry, and versatility. Credit: AMNA

The past of an bid for 24 Rafale craft for the Hellenic Air Force landed astatine the Tanagra subject basal connected Thursday, delivered to Greece by France.

Greece had initially ordered 18 Rafale aircraft, with different 6 specified combatant jets added (version 4.5).

The combatant airplanes person been incorporated successful 332 Squadron, portion of the 114 Combat Wing, replacing the M-2000 aircraft.

Greek Rafale craft instrumentality portion successful NATO-related and nationalist Armed Forces exercises. They person besides been included successful the play scheduling of craft connected precocious alert.

Rafale jets would heighten Greece’s defense

The Rafale is simply a French twin-engine, multi-role combatant craft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. It is simply a 4.5-generation multi-role combatant known for its precocious avionics, weaponry, and versatility and is apt to heighten Greece’s defence capabilities.

The Rafale’s armament includes Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles, MICA EM, and IR missiles, SCALP EG cruise missiles, and Exocet AM39 Block 2 Mod 2 air-to-surface missiles. It besides carries precision weapons specified arsenic the GBU 12/16/24 and AASM, on with a 30 mm gun.

Defense analysts accidental the acquisition of Rafales serves arsenic a beardown deterrent, peculiarly successful the discourse of ongoing tensions with Turkey. Turkey operates F-16s and is processing indigenous combatant capabilities, but the Rafale’s superior exertion could springiness Greece a strategical edge.

However immoderate constituent retired that operating and maintaining Rafales is expensive, and sustaining a precocious operational tempo could strain defence budgets. In addition, pilots and crushed crews volition necessitate clip and grooming to afloat exploit the Rafale’s potential.

In July 2021 Greece received the archetypal Rafale pitchy from France pursuing the 2.3 billion-euro ($2.8 billion) deal.

Greece to besides get US-made F-35s

By 2030, the Air Force plans to person 3 types of fighters. These volition see F-35s, F-16 Vipers, and Rafales, with a full of 200 aircraft.

In July 2024 Greece finalized its volition to procure 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II craft by signing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) done a U.S. authorities Foreign Military Sale. The LOA besides includes an enactment for 20 further aircraft.

In January 2024 the U.S. State Department approved the imaginable merchantability of up to forty F-35 fighter jets and respective instrumentality to Greece successful an $8.6 cardinal deal.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said successful a video connection that, arsenic portion of the deal, the Greek authorities volition besides person important subject assistance astatine nary other cost. This would see frigates, C-130 transport aircraft, armored tanks, and vehicles.

“This is the effect of a methodical, quiescent and agelong effort, which combined Greece’s consistency arsenic an state connected the planetary fronts with the promotion of its nationalist interests,” said the Greek PM. “A effect which consolidates, astatine the aforesaid time, the dynamic and autarkic Greek-American strategical relationship.”

Mitsotakis’ official request to the US for the acquisition of 20 Lockheed Martin-made F-35 combatant jets was submitted successful 2022.