French air force

A historic boat parade down the River Seine launched the Paris Olympics with spectacular French flair Friday, as the City of Light welcomed the world's greatest athletes for a sporting extravaganza.

The Hellenic Air Force's new state-of-the-art French Rafale fighter jets are participating in the annual VOLFA24 in their first exercise outside the country's borders in France.

The exercise, according to the French Ministry of Defense, is a meeting place for the conventional forces of the French Air Force and the French Space Agency.

The purchase comes as French lawmakers express concern over a Franco-German project to develop a successor to the Rafale. The Future Combat Air system, as it is known, is not expected to enter service before 2045 or 2050, according to the French Senate's defense committee, writes Defense News.

Greece's parliament on Tuesday approved a 3 billion euro ($3.4 billion) agreement for three new French-made frigates that defense officials say are vital for addressing ongoing tensions with neighboring Turkey.

The holiday was marked with precautionary measures due to the coronavirus.
About 5.000 members of all branches of the army took part in the parade as part of the Republic Day, and the parade was followed by the President of the state Emmanuel Macron, the state leadership of France and about 25.000 citizens.

A Rafale fighter jet of the French Air Force taxis on the tarmac during a joint military drill at Tanagra military air base, north of Athens, Thursday. Greek and French military leaders observed an exercise by French Rafales following a 2.3-billion-euro deal for Greece to buy 18 of the jets. [EPA]

The French Air Force continued its flights in the Nicosia FIR on Turesday. The aeronautical exercise of the French Navy and Air Force, which began last week and will continue until Wednesday, is according to Kathimerini part of the Cyprus-France military cooperation.

Airbus has been in Romania for five decades and "should Romania wish so", it can stay for another 50 years, Serge Durand, the head of Airbus Romania told an interview granted to AGERPRES.

Continued change from Afghanistan, confronting Russia, and enhancing 360-degree European security highlighted discussions during the NATO Military Committee Meeting in Brussels these past two days, The Pentagon reports.

Head of State Rumen Radev will be from 4 to 6 December on a working visit to the French Republic at the invitation of President Emmanuel Makron, reported BGNES.

The visit is a continuation of the top-level dialogue between Bulgaria and France after the meeting of the two presidents in the Palace of Evksinograd in August this year, the presidential press service announced.