Greece sells dozens of fighter jets to US for Ukraine - Al Jazeera
![Greece sells dozens of fighter jets to US for Ukraine - Al Jazeera](https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/static/img/f/_/f_16_pilot_getty_images_493822ebe70db4a0a32ae1fc59dee3c5_1300x820_14e476a92c3549866aded524fc1e51c3_650x410.jpg)
Greece plans to decommission 32 old F-16 Block-30 fighter jets and sell them to the US for subsequent transfer to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to Al Jazeera.
According to sources cited by Al Jazeera, Athens plans to sell these aircraft back to the US, where they will be upgraded and subsequently transferred to Ukraine.
In exchange, the US Congress Committee has allowed Greece to purchase up to 40 fifth-generation multi-role F-35 aircraft. Additionally, the country plans to upgrade 82 units of F-16 to Block-70 and acquire 24 fourth-generation Dassault Rafale fighters from France.
A representative of the Greek Air Force noted that the sale of 32 F-16s will create a significant gap in the country's air force. According to him, there should be a fleet of approximately 200 aircraft, which cannot be achieved with more modern and expensive fighters.
F-16 for Ukraine
Official transfers of American fighters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been announced by Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands. Training programs for Ukrainian pilots and support personnel are already underway in several of these countries.
Official sources in Kyiv have emphasized Ukraine's need for at least 128 F-16 fighters to counter Russia effectively.
This summer, Ukraine expects to receive six aircraft, with up to 20 units planned by the end of the year.
However, this number of fighters will still be insufficient to achieve parity with the Russian air fleet.
For more details on the preparations for integrating Western F-16 fighters into service, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.