Greece decides against purchase of additional F-16s
Source: Athens News Agency (ANA)
The Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) on Wednesday decided against the purchase 10 additional F-16 Block 52+ fighter planes, available as an option under a previous agreement for the procurement of 30 aircraft of the same type.
Following the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Defence Minister Vangelis Meimarakis announced that KYSEA had decided against the additional purchase “with respect for the money of the Greek people and Greek taxpayers and a sense of responsibility, so as not to disrupt the balance of power and the fighting capacity of the Greek Airforce.”
At the same time, the Council had voted to continue the implementation of its 2005 decision for the purchase of the original 30 fourth-generation F-16s.
Meimarakis said that a committee will be set up to assess the operational aspects and the cost factors and would make its recommendation to the next KYSEA so that it could decide the next moves concerning the procurement.
The defence ministry stressed, meanwhile, that the decision to waive the option for the 10 additional F-16 Block 52+ planes would in no way affect the approved future structure of the Greek Airforce, which calls for the acquisition of 60 modern fighter jets.
Commenting on the decision, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said the purchase of the 30 original F-16s preserved the balance of power, which remained unchanged in the region over the long term.
“There is also the economic aspect of the issue. Given that there is no change to the balance of power in the Aegean, it was judged that we should respect the money of Greek taxpayers,” he said.
Responding to questions about a possible Eurofighter aircraft purchase, the spokesman stressed that KYSEA had decided on the purchase of “a specific number of 60 aircraft” and that the F-16 deal had begun the process for acquiring the first 30.
There now remained the task of deciding on the purchase of the additional 30, which must be fourth-generation planes. The specific type of plane would be decided at the next KYSEA meeting, the spokesman said.
Roussopoulos also pointed out that there had been no change to the total number of aircraft that Greece would purchase, only a decision not to use an option to purchase an additional 10 F-16s.
According to the spokesman, the number 60 preserved the balance of power and, in fact, slightly improved on the 7:10 ratio of the past in Greece’s favour. The government had therefore decided against using the option, he added.
some additional inf according the ANA.
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