Delivery to Greece 40 F-35 aircraft by Lockheed Martin, announced by Prime Minister Mitsotakis, turns into a major financial and political scandalwhich will occupy the country in the coming years.
Evidence from the Finnish Parliament’s Defense Committee on the relevant purchase of F-35s just two years ago (signed in February 2022) proves that they were acquired for approximately… half the price that Greece would pay!
In particular, Finland entered into a deal worth $9.4 billion for 64 F-35 Block 4 fighter jets (exactly the same version as those planned deliver for Greece), but with a full package of weapons and support! Finland paid 146.87 million for each F-35 Block4, including weapons and spare parts.
Greek F-35s will cost $8.6 billion, that is, $215 million apiece(!). WITHOUT THE COST OF WEAPONS, WITHOUT TRAINING OF PILOTS AND TECHNICIANS, AND WITHOUT SPARE PARTS, which will increase the price to at least 250, and maybe up to 280 million dollars apiece!
Please note, as reported by a specialized American publication breakingdefense.com, Locheed Martin itself stated in November 2021 that Each F-35 unit costs “less than $80 million,” that is, without support, spare parts or weapons.
After purchasing the F-35, the Finnish government told the commission that “the fighters will begin entering service in 2027,” while Greece begins negotiations a few months later, which will end in 2025, with the first aircraft to be received in 2030, and deliveries completed in 2033 year!
But the scandal does not end there: if the Finnish company Patria took over the assembly of the fuselage and engine parts of the F-35 as a compensatory industrial project, then Greece will receive… a donut hole.
As for “gifts” such as 4 LCS, 2 C-130H, 60 M2 Bradley, etc. from the EDA fund * (Excess Defense Articles program), essentially obsolete weapons that the US is passing on to its poor relatives allies, then they only cause pity for the future of the Greek armed forces. But this is a topic for another publication…
*Excerpt from EDA terms and conditions: “Surplus defense goods are provided to the partner country at a reduced price (depending on the condition of the equipment) or in the form of a grant. Partner countries pay for packaging, handling and transportation (PCH&T) and, if applicable, repairs – EDA operates “as is, where is”.
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