Greece and US negotiate weapons for F-35 and F-16V amid $4 billion deal

On October 7, a last-minute bilateral session in Athens convened senior US Pentagon officials with senior Greek defence officials during Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit. Participants included Ambassador Emeritus Michail Spinellis, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, Major General Ioannis Bouras and ELKAK CEO Pantelis Tzortzakis, who was about to leave his post. The talks focused on the weapons package for Greece’s F-35 jets and the upgraded F-16V fleet, part of a $4 billion allocation already included in the long-term procurement plan.

Greece has set aside a little over €1 billion and on October 8 sent a Letter of Request for Price and Availability asking for details on missile types, quantities, delivery schedules and costs. The requested arsenal lists JASSM-ER, AIM-120D, the advanced AIM-260, AIM-9X, Harpoon and StormBreaker missiles, with the AIM-260 highlighted as a priority. While the package also covers upgrades to existing F-16 Block 50s and support for US-made helicopters, a gap between Greece’s budget and US pricing could delay the final agreement.