Tenth upgraded F-16 Viper jet delivered to Greece
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) received its 10th upgraded F-16 Viper fighter jet on Wednesday, as announced by Lockheed Martin and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry.
The HAF will receive a total of 84 upgraded fighters by 2027.
As noted, a total of 84 aircraft will be upgraded to the Viper configuration by 2027.
The Viper configuration provides new and enhanced security, networking and sensor capabilities that will enable the HAF to successfully address emerging threats in the region and support allied missions worldwide.
According to the announcement, the work on the aircraft is being carried out by the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV), with guidance from Lockheed Martin teams located both at EAV and in the US.
Through industrial cooperation programs spanning more than two decades under EAV’s F-16 programs, Lockheed Martin will have provided economic benefits of more than $1 billion to the Greek defense industry and EAV by the completion of the current F-16 Viper upgrade program.
Greece’s F-16 cooperation began in November 1984, when Athens expressed an interest in acquiring 34 single-seat F-16C and six two-seat F-16D aircraft to replace the obsolete F-5A/B Freedom Fighter.
The Greek government signed the first contract for the program in January 1987 with the first aircraft delivered in 1989.
Since then, the HAF has acquired a total of 170 F-16s in block 30, 50 and 52 configurations.
