While much of the spotlight has been on the glittering additions of Rafale fighter jets in France and the upcoming F-35s in the United States, the Hellenic Air Force is also moving forward in parallel with the local modernization of its F-16 Block 50+ and 52+ Advanced fighters to the Block 70 Viper standard. In this regard, Lockheed Martin Europe confirmed the completion and delivery of another aircraft to the force, marking the 42nd unit in the program that encompasses the modernization of 83 aircraft from the mentioned blocks.
As of today, the Hellenic Fighting Falcons form the backbone of Greece’s air power, a role they have held for decades, while also constituting one of the largest fleets in Europe in terms of numbers.
As previously noted, the Hellenic Air Force “…is one of the most significant operators of the F-16 platform, having acquired its first batch of 40 Block 30 aircraft back in 1989; aircraft which, in more recent times, were considered for transfer to Ukraine, though such a move ultimately did not materialize.”
It was further added that the force “…later received three additional batches of F-16s, namely: about 40 additional Block 50 aircraft (delivered in 1997), 60 Block 50+ aircraft (delivered by 2003), and a final 30 Block 52+ Advanced aircraft in 2009.”
With this brief overview, it can be said that the current Greek F-16 fleet is in a transitional stage for the years ahead. The introduction of new platforms such as the Rafale F3R and the future F-35A has led the Air Force to adopt several plans and adjustments.
The first, without a doubt, is the necessary rationalization of resources to channel them into other programs, including the decommissioning and retirement—along with the potential sale to third countries—of several aircraft that have been in service for decades. These include the F-16 Block 30, Mirage 2000, and F-4 Phantom II. Among these, some already have replacements defined: the Mirage 2000s are being replaced by the Rafales, while the legendary Phantoms will give way to the stealth F-35s.
As for the F-16s, they will continue to serve in the Hellenic Air Force thanks to the modernization program to Block 70 being carried out locally by Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) in cooperation with Lockheed Martin Europe. However, as noted, the program currently only covers the Block 50+ and 52+ Advanced variants, while discussions are ongoing about whether the Block 50 aircraft received in 1997 will also undergo these upgrades.
The reason for this reassessment is that several sectors argue that these resources could instead be directed toward acquiring additional F-35 fighters from the United States, considering the older age of the Block 50s compared to the later variants received in the late 2000s.
Finally, and despite the circumstances revealed just days ago, the Hellenic Viper Modernization Program has managed to overcome various setbacks in the past, successfully reaching its halfway point with the delivery of the F-16D Block 70—the 42nd aircraft of the program.
*Original text in Spanish: Juan José Roldán.
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