The US arms embargo on Turkey and the simultaneous supply of Greece with F-16 Vipers, changes the balance in the “air” of the Aegean in favor of our country.
How are the balances between Greece and Turkey regarding the “battle of the ethers” in the Aegean.
With the acquisition of the Rafale by France, the F-16 Viper by the USA and the looming acquisition of the F-35, combined with the American arms embargo on the neighbors, they create new data in the comparison of the fleets of the two countries.
At this time in progress, which became known on Saturday (17/9), the Americans decided to completely lift the arms embargo on Cyprus, which will now also be significantly strengthened.
The Greek air force has already integrated into its force six Rafale fighters, which in a few days to be completely ready at an operational level.
These are fighter aircraft with great strike and target detection capabilities at distances of 60-100 kilometers. In the next period, the Greek fleet will count a total of 24 such Rafale type aircraft.
In addition, the upgrade program of the Greek F-16s from the USA, which are being converted into Vipers, is underway. Already the first “vipers” have officially left Greece last week and flew to Souda where they will be based.
This is what Turkey knows and this is what it fears, as it is often noted thickly in various announcements it makes.
In particular, Greece’s fleet at the end of the decade will number 277 combat aircraft compared to Turkey’s 313. It should be noted that the above number will include 83 upgraded F-16s.
For their part, the Turks, if they fail to upgrade their own F-16s or buy new ones from the US, will have 273.
In addition, Turkey fears the possibility of our country acquiring an F-35 squadron, even towards the end of the decade, which will further strengthen its position in the Aegean.
At the same time, since Erdogan “broke” with the Americans by buying the S-400 from Russia, they were excluded from the purchase of the F-35.
However, it is estimated that even if Turkey’s contacts with the US lead to an impasse, the Turks will seek solutions to strengthen their air force elsewhere. They have already begun contacts for the purchase of another type of fighter.
In any case, however, the neighboring country has been left behind in the “battle” of the reinforcement, as even if it finally succeeds in upgrading its aircraft, it will take at least seven to nine years.
The chart from “News Weekend” comparing the fleets of Greece and Turkey in terms of air force.
