Greece to Buy 18 Rafale Fighters, Four New Frigates to Boost Defense

By Tasos Kokkinidis

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Saturday that Greece will buy 18 new Rafale aircraft and four frigates to address the defense needs of the country.

The Greek premier, speaking in Thessaloniki, said that the defense of the country will also be boosted through the acquisition of Romeo SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, torpedoes, anti-tank and guided missiles and the modernization of the Hydra-class frigates.

He also announced the hiring of 15,000 new professional recruits and the revitalization of the Greek defense industry.

The Rafale is a French twin-engine, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.

Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. It is referred to as an “omnirole” aircraft by Dassault.