Greece considers selling old F-16s for modernization and transfer to Ukraine

Greece plans to decommission 32 old F-16 Block-30 fighters and is considering selling them to the United States of America for modernization and further transfer to Ukraine.

Al Jazeera reported this with reference to its own sources.

According to the media, Greece is currently modernizing all of its aviation.

In April this year, the Greek publication Newsbreak reported that the country's defense minister, during the announcement of the reform plan "Agenda 2030", said the government plans to sell 108 decommissioned fighter jets.

"We have a range of aircraft of different types. We have the F-4, the Mirage 2000-5, the Block 30 F-16, the Block 50 F-16, the Block 52 F-16, the Viper F-16, and the Rafale. We cannot continue on this path," Nikos Dendias, Greek defense minister, said.

The Greek media explained, "The cost of this operation can be from 2 to 2.5 billion euros. It is noted that the transfer of 32 F-16C/-D Block 30 to Ukraine is not in doubt."

However, they did not specify who exactly would buy these planes that could get to Ukraine.

As reported in Newsweek, 32 F-16 fighters in the Block 30 modification are intended to be decommissioned and transferred to Ukraine.

"Greece is set to decommission 32 old F-16 Block-30 fighters as it upgrades 82 F-16s to Block-70 and acquires 24 fourth-generation Rafale fighters from France," Al Jazeera reported.

A Greek Air Force engineer said selling 32 F-16 fighter jets could create a significant gap in the country's air force.

In addition, Newsweek writes that Athens could also transfer its 24 French Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine.

"If the transfer of the F-16 [to Ukraine] is considered 'almost certain,' then the Mirage aircraft deal is 'potential,' as the French-made aircraft will need permission from Paris. Or they could be sold to India," the newspaper reported.

It is worth mentioning that Greece has the most significant number of F-16s, with 154 such fighters in its arsenal.

Besides, Greece is currently upgrading 82 F-16 fighters to the Block-70 modification. Furthermore, Athens intends to buy 24 fourth-generation French Rafale fighter jets. Finally, in January 2021, the US Congress permitted Greece to purchase fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets from the United States.

Meanwhile, France has announced its intention to train Ukrainian pilots on Mirage aircraft. At the beginning of the summer, President Emmanuel Macron announced a pilot program to train Ukrainian pilots on Mirage jets to hand over its Mirage aircraft to Ukraine by the end of 2024.

"We will launch a new cooperation program and announce the transfer (to Ukraine – ed.) of Mirage 2000-5s – French fighters that will allow Ukraine to defend its land and airspace. … Starting tomorrow, we are going to launch a pilot training program and then transfer these aircraft ", Macron said on June 6 after meeting with Zelensky.

For reference:

The Ukrainians intend to utilize F-16 aircraft to neutralize Russian cruise missiles aimed at Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian areas.

At the end of March, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, said Ukraine should receive Western F-16 fighter jets according to previously established plans and schedules.

On April 17, three F-16 multi-purpose fighters arrived in Romania, where Ukrainian pilots will be trained.

It is also worth adding that Ukrainian pilots, who are trained on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark and the United States, are already practicing the tasks they will face in Ukraine, in particular, striking missiles and UAVs.

It is significant that trained F-16 maintenance specialists have already started returning to Ukraine. 

It was also reported that the first group of Ukrainian pilots had already completed training on F-16 combat aircraft at the military base in Arizona, United States of America.

On September 20, 2023, the mass media reported that Ukraine was negotiating with France to transfer Mirage 2000 attack fighters.

Before that, information was spread that Ukrainian pilots were allegedly in France, where they were training on Mirage 2000 attack aircraft. Later, the Ministry of Defense of both countries denied these statements.

Meanwhile, Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force Command at that time, stated that Ukraine requires modern, versatile aircraft, and therefore, there are better choices than the French Mirage 2000.

Since the beginning of 2024, there has been renewed talk that Ukraine might receive French Mirage 2000 aircraft. These aircraft are not supposed to replace the F-16 in any way, but they can protect the Soviet bombers available in the Ukrainian army.

The Mirage 2000 is a French fighter jet created by Dassault Aviation during the 1970s. It served as the primary combat aircraft for the French Air Force from the late 20th to early 21st century.