SpaceWar.com - Your World At War
France confirms deal with Greece for six more Rafale fighters: defence ministry
Paris, Sept 12 (AFP) Sep 12, 2021
France on Sunday confirmed that Greece had agreed to buy six more of its Rafale jets, bringing to 24 the number of French fighters sold to Athens for billions of euros.

"Excellent news: Greece has just announced its intention to acquire six additional Rafales. Together, we are working to build true European autonomy," French Defence Minister Florence Parly tweeted.

Greece was the first European country to buy the combat jets made by Dassault Aviation.

In January, Athens placed an order for 18 of the planes, 12 of them second-hand, in a 2.5-billion-euro deal aimed at boosting Greece's defences faced with growing tensions with neighbouring Turkey.

On Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed plans to acquire an additional six Rafales.

"I announced the purchase of 18 Rafale. Soon there will be 24," he said during the Thessaloniki International Fair, adding that the first aircraft, a second-hand model from France's own airforce, would be flying Greek colours "before the end of the year".

France has struggled to find takers for its warplanes among its EU neighbours.

In May, Croatia became only the second European country to buy Rafales, opting for 12 previously used aircraft.

Qatar, Egypt and India are Dassault's biggest Rafale clients.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Interference to astronomy the unintended consequence of faster internet
Russian rocket puts Iran satellite into space: Iran media
Viasat unveils IoT Nano service for global low-power connectivity

24/7 Energy News Coverage
NASA's X-59 moves under its own power
Sri Lanka orders Singapore shipowner to pay US$1 bn over marine disaster
More than 80% of Tuvalu seeks Australian climate visa

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
New MachLab rocket test site launches UK into next phase of space engineering
Ukraine's anti-graft body says new bill restores independence
Iran meets European powers amid threats of UN sanctions snapback

24/7 News Coverage
Australia's mammal megafauna face long-term decline from extinctions and invasive species
Alien life clues may emerge from deep sea volcanic vents on Earth
Seismic signatures reveal fragmentation patterns of fireball meteoroids



All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.