The Hellenic Air Force is being upgraded and strengthened as a factor of stability in the Aegean and the Mediterranean
Written by Stavros Ioannidis – [email protected] – SOURCE: POLITICAL
The first Greek “Viper”, the F-16 with the serial number “005”, returns to Tanagra in a few weeks, which was upgraded to Viper, after successfully completing the demanding ground and air tests in the United States of America. As soon as it lands on the track of the 114th Battle Wing, the aircraft will once again wear the Greek colors and will be the “guide” for the conversion of another 82 F-16s into the most advanced version of the legendary single-engine fighter of Lockheed Martin.
The “005” now wears state-of-the-art AESA radar and new software, while the results from the exhaustive tests it underwent on the other side of the Atlantic satisfied the Air Staff with the above. In fact, many of the concerns that had been expressed about the compatibility of old and new systems were dispelled, making the Greek “Vipers” the most “medicinal” in the Eastern Mediterranean.
By the end of the year at least six Vipers are expected to leave the sheds of ODA and after completing the necessary tests they will take the road to the War Squadrons to which they belong. Although the program will be completed in 2027 – and this if there are no unpleasant surprises on the part of ADA – the Air Force will include a sufficient number of fighters each year to not only meet the increased needs created by the delinquent behavior of neighbors in its skies Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean but also to create the most powerful arsenal in the region. The upgraded F-16s, which will be the operational backbone of the Air Force, together with the state-of-the-art Rafale and later the F-35s, will offer Greece the ultimate air advantage over its neighbors.
At the same time, a great effort is underway by both Greek diplomacy and the Greek Diaspora in order for Turkey not to gain access to new technology F-16s. Ankara’s request to upgrade 80 aircraft to Viper and acquire another 40 new F-16s remains “frozen” in the US Congress, while another request regarding the provision of communication systems and radar spare parts is under discussion.
Greece, however, is not limited to acquiring the upgraded F-16s, as the Air Staff has already announced its intention to acquire a series of deadly weapons that will launch the firepower of the Greek F-16s. These are the advanced anti-radar missiles AGM-88E AARGM but also the Israeli-made Rampage and Spice, the integration of which will greatly increase the impact capabilities of the Air Force.
However, no one can predict what will happen to the 38 F-16 Block 50, the program for the modernization of which has stalled, and despite the assurances to the contrary from the competent sources, its introduction to the Armaments Committee has not been planned to date. Parliament. The systems that will be used have already been removed from the Block 52 that are being upgraded to Viper and the longer they remain in the warehouses, the more they risk being devalued and the golden opportunity that the country has to give new and impressive capabilities to its F-16 fleet.
It is worth noting that the program was withdrawn from Parliament after the reactions of SYRIZA and since then, although a decision has been made to restore it, it remains in the drawers of the Ministry of National Defense.
