Greece formally approved an offer to buy 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States, government officials said on Thursday, July 25.
According to AMNA.gr, the General Directorate of Defence Equipment and Investments of the Greek Ministry of National Defence dispatched a signed Letter of Acceptance (LoA) to the United States on Thursday.
The dispatch came after the approval of Greece’s national security council (KYSEA) for the start of the procurement program of 20 F-35 A Lighting II aircraft and related equipment, with the right to order an additional number of 20 combat aircraft.
Speaking on Thursday after a visit to a military air base near Athens, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the purchase would create “a powerful deterrent presence in our region.”
“With the acquisition of the F-35, the Hellenic Air Force acquires the first fifth-generation aircraft and enters a new era,” he said.
Dendias described the development as a very important step in Greece’s “Agenda 2030” program, adding that “in combination with everything else taking place,” the Hellenic Armed Forces “will achieve what we all believe in becoming, the strongest deterrence force in our region and in the history of the Greek nation.”
Delivery of the fifth-generation jet made by Lockheed Martin is expected to start in 2028. The purchase of the first 20 jets along with additional support will cost some $3.5 billion, Greek officials said.
