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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-07-19
CONTENTS
[01] Government Foreign Affairs and Defence Council decides to purchase
30 F-16 warplanes and 333 Leopard tanks
[01] Government Foreign Affairs and Defence Council decides to purchase
30 F-16 warplanes and 333 Leopard tanks
The Government Foreign Affairs and Defence Council (KYSEA) decided to
purchase 30 F-16 Block-52 warplanes with the option of purchasing an
additional 10 of this type to meet the air force's immediate
operational needs, during its meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas
Karamanlis on Tuesday. It also approved the procurement of 333 Leopard
tanks.
The agreement for the purchase of the aircraft will be signed by the
governments of Greece and the United States, while that for the tanks
between the governments of Greece and Germany, as the defence minister
clarified.
The cost of the warplanes, in current prices according to the minister,
amounts to 1.1 billion euros but the final amount will depend on
negotiations with the American side and offset benefits will concern
infrastructures and support for the rest of the F-16s belonging to the
Greek air force.
As regards the new fighter aircraft, whose procurement lies in the year
2009, the minister said the proposal by the defence ministry is for the
purchase of 30 new aircraft with an option for the purchase of another
10. The minister clarified that the type of aircraft has not been
decided.
KYSEA also okayed the new structure of forces and the new structure for
the armed forces' administration to enable them to become more flexible
and effective and to have a greater rapid reaction ability, as the
minister said, while he also appointed the new leadership of military
justice.
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