Greece Is Putting Its Older F-16s And Mirage 2000s Up For Sale, But Will Any Country Buy Them?

It is main. As part of its substantial overhaul of its militaries, Greece will use a few of its older, utilized fighter jets for sale. Will any nations desire these ex-Hellenic Air Force airplane?

“We have a cartload of various kinds of airplane. We have F-4s, Mirage 2000-5s, Block 30 F-16s, Block 50 F-16s, Block 52 F-16s, Viper F-16s and Rafales. We can not continue in this manner. The F-4s require to be retired and, if possible, offered. The Mirage 2000-5 is an extremely capable aircraft and can be offered. The Block 30 F-16s require to be offered. And I believe we will have the ability to offer the [Mirage 2000-5 and Block 30 F-16s],” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias stated on Mar. 25 in an interview for Greek tv.

George Tzogopoulos, a senior fellow at the Centre International de Formation Européenne, a French policy research study institute, kept in mind that Greece’s continuous modernization of its militaries is the context within the choice to offer these older airplane must be seen.

“Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has actually revealed this certainly, so it is the main policy,” he informed me.

Dendias’s remarks followed a report in Greek media in early February exposing the HAF General Staff is seeking to offer 18 Mirage 2000EGM/BGM fighters that had actually formerly served the 332 Hawk Squadron for 30 years. It’s supposedly prepared to settle a sale to India. India has actually run Mirage 2000s considering that obtaining 51 in 1982-85 and might well have an interest in getting the utilized Greek airframes to cannibalize for extra parts to keep its fleet functional.

While lots of nations have looked for pre-owned fighter jets recently, there might be minimal interest in these older airframes. Despite the fact that Greece’s F-4 Phantom IIs have actually gotten upgrades throughout the years, there is likely little interest in them considering their innovative age, which is why Dendias confessed they require to be retired if Athens can not offer them. Turkey is keeping its up-to-date F-4s in service till completion of this yearshowever Ankara is doing so out of need.

Indonesia revealed in February that it had ditched a strategy to purchase 12 pre-owned Mirage 2000-5 fighters from Qatar for $790 million. Jakarta had actually pictured the fighters functioning as a substitute service up until it got Rafales later on in the years.

It’s uncertain if any nation will desire Greece’s Block 30 F-16s, a design Athens has actually run given that the late 1980s. Remarkably, Greece canceled an offer for 20 ex-U.S. Air Force Block 30 F-16s reached in August 1998.

Ukraine would doubtlessly invite the acquisition of previous HAF F-16s and Mirage 2000s considering that Kyiv requires any system it can get. In addition to getting pre-owned F-16s from European flying force, Kyiv has actually revealed interest in possibly obtaining utilized Mirage 2000Ds from France.

Tzogopoulos thinks it’s “in theory” possible that Ukraine might get these ex-HAF jets.

“Although Greece does not come from the nations which have actually currently chosen to send out F-16s to Ukraine, its pilots are apparently currently training Ukrainian ones,” he stated.

He worried that Greek-Russian political relations are now at their least expensive point.

“Perhaps it will not remain in the interest of the Greek federal government to open brand-new fronts of hostility with Moscow,” he stated. “The concern of sending out S-300s to Ukraine is currently on the general public program.”

Tzogopoulos likewise sees India as a leading competitor for purchasing the Mirage 2000s, indicating reports in Greek media and Prime Minister Mitsotakis’s current effective check out to India.

“However, we presently do not have some fundamental details to offer precise talk about possible sales,” he stated. “Potential re-sales of Mirage 2000s depend upon stipulations in the preliminary agreement signed with Dassault Aviation (which offered French fighters to Greece).”

“Additionally, we are not knowledgeable about the present technical status of aircrafts, the particular kind of Mirage 2000s Greece will lastly offer, upkeep expenses, and expenses for future technological improvement,” he included.

India’s next-door neighbor and competing Pakistan has actually looked for old, pre-owned Mirages from Egypt and has a credibility for being “thrifty” when it concerns keeping older, classic airplane in service for as long as possible. It’s not unthinkable that Islamabad would be interested in Greece’s utilized Mirages.

Any possible sale to Pakistan is extremely not likely, primarily for political factors.

“I discover it tough to think about considering that Greek-Pakistani relations are not tactical however rather cover fundamental styles (migration, some trade, and so on),” Tzogopoulos stated. “As opposed to other nations pointed out, I would rule out Pakistan a prospective purchaser.”

There was an unofficial report in the last few years that Greece intended on potentially offering Cyprus its Mirage 2000s, which would be considerable thinking about the island country has actually never ever run fighter jets.

“I would not omit choices, however history shows the complex nature of that kind of circumstance,” Tzogopoulos stated of a prospective Cypriot sale. “Again, I would state that Dassault Aviation and the French federal government would potentially have a say on the matter. This is not always a bilateral problem in between Greece and the Republic of Cyprus however includes others.”

“The conversation is hence rather impacting the brand-new military status of the Republic of Cyprus, which is not a NATO member state however is gradually approaching the West and backing its tactical top priorities,” he included.

Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia have actually just recently increased military cooperationDue to this, Armenia, which has actually looked for to diversify its military procurementmight be a possible competitor for these airplane.

Yerevan formerly purchased 4 brand name brand-new Su-30SM Flanker fighter jets from Russia in 2019. These jets played no function in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

It’s uncertain if Armenia may look for to match Azerbaijan’s reported acquisition of JF-17 Thunder fighters from Pakistan with these ex-HAF jets, particularly if it might get them at a cost effective rate.

“Greece and Armenia have actually taken pleasure in a high level of defense cooperation for years,” Tzogopoulos stated.

“If Dassault Aviation and the French federal government have no objection, Armenia reveals an interest and has the capability to cover expenditures, it will probably be a prospective customer.”