A Greek parliamentary committee approved on Monday the purchase of a three-billion euro multi-layer air and drone defense system and the upgrade of 38 F-16 fighter jets, with the total cost estimated at about €4 billion, two sources told Reuters.
Greece is already in talks with Israel to provide a big part of the missile systems for the dome, called “Achilles Shield” with an estimated cost of about €3 billion.
“The parliament committee approved the project and also the upgrade of the F-16s,” said a senior source with direct knowledge of the issue. The session took place behind closed doors.
Greece plans to upgrade an additional 38 F-16 Block 50 jets, dating back to the 1990s, to the modern “Viper” version at an estimated cost of about one billion euros, the source added.
A second person confirmed the information.
Greece has a fleet of about 150 F-16s and has already upgraded about 40 of them.
The Greek government has said that it plans to spend in total about €28 billion euros by 2036 to modernize its armed forces as it emerges from a 2009-2018 debt crisis and tries to keep pace with its historic rival Turkey.
The new purchase will also need to be approved by the country’s top decision-making body on foreign affairs and defense matters, KYSEA.
The committee on Monday also gave the green light for the upgrade of four old MEKO 200 frigates and a maintenance agreement for C29J military transport aircraft. [Reuters]