The Greek government has approved an agreement with the United States for the modernization of more than half of its fleet of F-16, for an amount of 1,2 billion. The expenses will be used to improve the capacity of 85 American fighters supplied to the Greek Air Force, approaching them by technology to the more advanced F-35. Athens will have to pay within 2028, but the United States has accepted an annual sum of 150 million. The American Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt recalled that the cartel agreement was signed last October during the visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Washington.
The visit of the Premier of Greece Aleksis Tsipras in the USA, however, was defined as useless by the internal opposition of the "New Democracy" party.
At the meeting the American leader announced that the contract would strengthen the Greek aviation and bring the US economy up to 2,4 billions of dollars and 1000 jobs.
“Unfortunately, it is clear from the announcement of the meeting that the only result was a costly agreement to modernize the Greek F-16 fighters. The agreement, which will cost Greece 2,4 billion US dollars, aims to create jobs not in Greece but in the US ”, the declaration of“ New Democracy ”read.
Party chairman Kiriakos Mitsotakis previously noted that Tsipras' visit to the US was taking place in a very favorable geopolitical situation for Greece due to the region's instability and difficulties in US-Turkish relations.
The Minister of Defense of Greece, Panos Kammenos, commenting on the declaration of the "New Democracy", had corrected the information saying that the modernization would have been cheaper. In a statement, whose text was received by RIA Novosti, the Minister recalled that the initial cost of 30 F-16 Block 52 + Advanced was 3,2 billions of dollars and the final of 1,9 billion.
On his Twitter profile, Kammenos wrote that modernization in Greece will cost 1,1 billion euros. The remainder will be paid into aid and compensation programs.