Greece approves air defence system purchase and F-16 jet upgrades

Monday 16 March 2026 - 17:30

A Greek parliamentary committee has approved the acquisition of a multi-layer air and drone defense system, along with the upgrade of 38 F-16 fighter jets, at a total estimated cost of around 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion), according to sources familiar with the matter.

Greece is negotiating with Israel to supply a significant portion of the missile systems for the project, named "Achilles Shield," with an estimated cost of approximately 3 billion euros.

The F-16 upgrades involve modernizing additional Block 50 jets, originally from the 1990s, to the advanced "Viper" configuration at a cost of about one billion euros. Greece currently operates a fleet of roughly 150 F-16s and has already upgraded around 40 aircraft.

This investment is part of Greece’s broader plan to spend approximately 28 billion euros ($32 billion) by 2036 on modernizing its armed forces, aiming to strengthen its defense capabilities and maintain strategic balance with regional rival Turkey.