Hellenic Air Force Gets One Step Closer To Fly F-35 Stealth Jets

Greece’s plans to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) are set to take a step forward, with a team from the programme office scheduled to visit the country in February, reported Janes.

The US Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, told national media in late January of the planned visit as the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) seeks to progress its plan to acquire the F-35A as part of a wider ramp-up of its combat aviation forces.

“Let me start with the most important point, which is, Greece will be part of the F-35 programme. I think that’s clearly understood by the government, by the Hellenic Air Force, but also by the US government. You’ve heard expressions to that effect not just from me but from senior officials of the State Department,” Ambassador Pyatt said.

For Greece American Sen. Robert Menendez along with Sen. Marco Rubio introduced the US-Greece Defense and Interparliamentary Partnership Act of 2021 as an amendment, under which Congress would back selling F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to Greece.

The US-Greece Defense Act, which will boost support for Greek military modernization, passed its first hurdle, at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who introduced the Act applauded the decision by the committee.

“I am very proud to see the Senate Foreign Relations Committee come together in support of this commonsense legislation that not only bolsters Greece’s efforts to modernize its armed forces, but also strengthens our bilateral defense relationship and enduring ties with our instrumental Hellenic partners,” Chairman Menendez said.

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