A Rafale fighter jet, September 10, 2020. -
Manish Swarup / AP / SIPA
The heightened tensions with neighboring Turkey prompted Athens to strengthen its military arsenal.
For this, Greece has decided to turn to France.
The country must thus conclude this Monday the purchase of 18 Rafale fighter jets for an amount of approximately 2.5 billion euros.
The contract also includes the supply of Scalp cruise missiles, Exocet anti-ship missiles and Meteor long-range anti-aircraft missiles.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly is expected in Athens to sign the contract which "sends a clear message in several directions", according to her counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos.
First in Ankara.
I will be next Monday January 25 in Athens for the signing of the contract for the sale of 18 Rafale to Greece.
For the first time, our fighter plane is sold to a European country.
#EuropeDefense # Defense
- Florence Parly (@florence_parly) January 22, 2021
This acquisition was discussed in record time between the two governments.
The decision to negotiate was taken in September by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in reaction to Turkey's gas exploration and show of force in disputed waters with Greece and Cyprus.
Turkish actions "illegal and aggressive" according to the leaders of the European Union which paved the way for sanctions against Ankara.
Start of deliveries this summer
Six of the Rafales are bought new from the manufacturer Dassault Aviation and must be delivered from 2022. But Athens wanting to have planes without delay intended to ensure air superiority in the Aegean Sea, 12 are bought second-hand in Paris, which will take from the inventory of the French Air Force.
Deliveries are due to start in the summer and the 18 planes will be delivered in the summer of 2023, according to a Greek Defense Ministry official.
The first four Greek drivers are due to start training in France in early 2021, according to this source.
To replace the 12 aircraft sold to Greece, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces will acquire 12 new aircraft.
All the proceeds of the sale, "of the order of 400 million euros", will be used to partly finance the purchase, according to the minister's office.
A little more visibility for Dassault Aviation
For France, the Greek contract represents the first sale of the Rafale in Europe, to which Paris is seeking to direct its arms exports and encourage cooperation.
And while France sorely needs dynamic exports to maintain the viability of its industry and its defense strategy, this sale also gives visibility for an additional 18 months to Dassault Aviation and its 500 subcontractors, including many are weakened by the crisis in the aviation sector.
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