Greece Orders Additional Rafale Jets, Belharra Frigates

Greece inked a deal for the procurement of six additional Rafale combat jets and three Belharra frigates with France.

Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, and Vice-Admiral Aristidis Alexopoulos, Director General of Armaments and Investments of the Greek Ministry of Defence, signed in Athens, in the presence of Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces, and Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, Greek Minister of National Defence, a contract for the acquisition of six additional new Rafale aircraft, Dassault Aviation confirmed in a release.

This new contract, which follows Greece’s acquisition of 18 Rafale in January 2021, will increase to 24 the number of Rafale operated by the Hellenic Air Force.

Following the arrival at Tanagra Air Base of the first six Rafale of the Hellenic Air Force on 19 January 2022, the 18 Rafale relating to the first contract will be fully deployed in Greece by the summer 2023.The six additional Rafale will then be delivered to the Hellenic Air Force shortly thereafter, starting from the summer 2024.

The two countries also signed another contract for the acquisition of three Belharra frigates for the Hellenic Navy on Thursday. The signing ceremony was held onboard the Battleship Georgios Averof, permanently docked as a museum at Paleo Faliro, the coastal suburb south of Athens.

In accordance with the defense agreement inked in October 2021, the Hellenic authorities have signed two contracts with Naval Group for the supply of three Defence and Intervention Frigates (FDI HN), plus one optional, as well as their in-service support. The contracts include as well the supply of MU90 torpedoes and CANTO countermeasures.

Built by Naval Group, two warships are due to be delivered in 2025 and the third the following year, with an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.