Six first gamble hunting planes should be delivered Wednesday to Greece during an official ceremony, while the Franco-Greek agreement irritates Ankara.
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One year Just after the order passed by Greece for 18 fighter planes in France, the first six bursts must land Wednesday, January 19 on the military base of Tanagra 40 kilometers north of Athens. A large pomp ceremony is scheduled for the presence of the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who made the purchase of new weapons a diplomatic persuasion tool to calm Turkish ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean.
Mid-September 2021, Athens added six hunting planes to his fleet, filling a little more the Dassault command book. The price of the 24 burst with weapons and spare parts is estimated at 3.3 billion euros. Athens also plans to acquire at least three Belharra frigates, built by Naval Group for an amount between 3 and 5 billion euros. Greece would also be interested in buying four or five Gowind corvettes from Naval Group.
A few days ago, the Greek Defense minister, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, and his French counterpart, Florence Parly, were on the shipyard of the company in Lorient (Morbihan). “Greece is a friendly and allied country of France. We share the same vision of what a Europe of defense should be in the world”, then said M me Parly.
An interesting partner
“The status of Greece has changed from international partners. Greece has shown resilience, overcame the economic crisis, migratory shock, explains Dorothée Schmid, Director of the Program on Turkey and the Middle East. The French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) during a debate organized by the Research Center on January 13th. She is no longer begging for money and becoming an interesting partner for contracts. Moreover. when President Macron moves in Greece, he comes with important entrepreneurs. “
The annual Greek defense budget amounts to 5.5 billion euros for 2021, an increase of 41% compared to 2020. But for the Conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, this investment is necessary. “I have an obligation to constantly strengthen – within our budgetary possibilities – the deterrent capacity of the country. (…) The first bursts are an at least advantage in terms of airplane compared to our neighboring country . We have built alliances with very great powers. With France. The United States. Naturally, it makes Turkey nerve, but our agreements are directed against anyone, “said Mitsotakis, on January 14th.
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