Greece closer to upgrade 80 F16

[NearchosCretan]

Greece’s Council on Foreign Policy and Defense (KYSEA) unanimously approved the upgrade of 85 F-16 fighter jets by the US.

According to an announcement by the prime minister’s office, the approval was given after Defense Minister Panos Kammenos informed KYSEA that the US has accepted a revised Greek proposal that takes into consideration Greece’s fiscal commitments and constraints in the coming years.

Kammenos described the F-16 upgrade as a “great day for the military air force.”

In a tweet, US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt hailed the approval as a “very big day,” adding that the upgrade will move ahead “building on Prime Minister Tsipras' visit to the White House last October.”

New Democracy's shadow defense minister Vasilis Kikilias said the main opposition was always in favor of an F-16 upgrade and will wait for the details of the deal with the United States before commenting further.

The main obstacle to the deal was disagreements with US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin over the program’s launch date and the tight payment schedule.

Greece is eager to update its fleet so that it attains interoperability with F-35 jets, which Turkey is already starting to acquire.

On Thursday, three US senators introduced a measure aimed at blocking the transfer of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Turkey, one of nine partner nations involved in producing the high-tech, radar-evading aircraft.

The bill, by Republicans James Lankford and Thom Tillis, and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, comes at a time of deteriorating relations between the United States and Turkey, which supported the fight against Islamic State but has become increasingly worried about US backing for Kurdish fighters in north Syria.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/228145/article/ekathimerini/news/kysea-approves-f-16-upgrade-by-us

 

[NearchosCretan]

Comment: Is the F-16 VIPER adequate to contain the Turkish F35 squadron? Some unique innovation will be needed.

 

[Bullfrog]

Comment: Is the F-16 VIPER adequate to contain the Turkish F35 squadron? Some unique innovation will be needed.

They don't have them yet, and the US Senate just introduced a bill to block the delivery

 

[KimPossible]

Really? They're gonna spend their money on this, instead of their collapsed goverment that faulted on the Euro super hard, which they still have not recovered from. They need to spend that money on their very very very poor people instead of new military hardware, whats the point of defending a bunch of broke/homeless people. You know?

I just had to laugh, even their most epic fail at the most basic civil service to its people, it just goes right back to spending money it doesn't have... Just wow the Greece goverment is super duper dumb, to bad they didn't kick Greece out of the EU zone. They can't be trusted to run their own country let alone be in a alliance, weather economically or military.

 

[Bullfrog]

Really? They're gonna spend their money on this, instead of their collapsed goverment that faulted on the Euro super hard, which they still have not recovered from. They need to spend that money on their very very very poor people instead of new military hardware, whats the point of defending a bunch of broke/homeless people. You know?

I just had to laugh, even their most epic fail at the most basic civil service to its people, it just goes right back to spending money it doesn't have... Just wow the Greece goverment is super duper dumb, to bad they didn't kick Greece out of the EU zone. They can't be trusted to run their own country let alone be in a alliance, weather economically or military.

I'm sure the people of Greece have a different opinion while a war is looming between them and Turkey

 

[KimPossible]

What is there to defend in Greece.. Not much, Turkey would only be gaining a cancer in its system. There won't be a war. You really think Turkey will start a attack and for what? Greece can barly stand on its feet, so there is no chance of them starting it either. You just have a bunch of children basically screaming at each other. No different then any other worldly situation occurring.

I'm sure the people of Greece have a different opinion while a war is looming between them and Turkey

I am pretty sure the Greek people would rather have food in there belly, roofs over their heads, and a stable economy for jobs, rather then spending countless billions on planes that will never really get used for its intended purposes.

Then also ask yourself you think 80 extra planes would even slightly dampen a attack from Turkey? No. Turkey would walk right over those fighters, again what a waste a money again by the Greek Government.

Maybe people have forgotten about the Greece economic crisis & their fault on the Euro hard by Greeks own doing knowingly BUT there people still feel it, it never went away, and they are still greatly suffering, by them I mean the Greek people not their crooked goverment making that very clear, the Greek people have been used, abused, and lied to.

The Greek Government is just god awful terrible and shocked there still permitted within the EU economic zone for trade and all that shit. Yet nobody in the EU douse jack and throwing money at a problem doesn't fix it. Someone in the EU needs to have a watchdog within the Greek goverment to watch its expenditures. Maybe even some sanctions on goverment officials to step down within Greece. Not everyone responsible for the crisis got fired, they still work...

I guess I am more mad at the fact that Greece hurt the EU badly by abusing a system that was there to protect them and everyone else. But instead they used/abused the system that protects them to almost the brink of collapse. Probably wouldn't have this Brexit, or such rise in nationalism over the years in Europe, simply because Greece used a flaw and shown how vulnerable the EU economic system is to all the parties within the EU making everyone think twice rather its worth being in the economic "club".... and this big expense with the planes only further shows their goverment douse not know how to spend its money right still.

IF they are truly afraid of a war, Greece would be talking with the US and having the US defuse this, but there not because there is no real threat to them because Turkey will not attack. Nor will Greece. Getting really tired of reading this crap. Besides Turkey is still to tied up in Syria/Iraq.