Fighter aircraft

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias outlined the government's plan for restructuring the Armed Forces under the "Agenda 2030" on Monday, emphasizing fighter jet acquisition, Navy Fleet enhancement and the domestic defense industry's role in autonomous systems and missile defense.

The green light given by the United States to Greece's acquisition of the F-35 multi-role fighter and to the sale of F-16 fighters and upgrade kits to Turkey highlights the fact that the two nominal NATO allies are actually facing each other, vying for supremacy in the air, land and sea.

The American commitment to reinforce Greece with fifth-generation fighter jets, along with the sale of a number of more sophisticated F-16s, is indicative, at least for now, of Washington's wish to maintain a certain balance of air power in the Aegean.

The first domestically modernized F-16 fighter jets have been delivered to the Turkish military, Defense Industries Presidency (SSB) head İsmail Demir has announced.

Romania will purchase F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from the US, the Supreme National Defense Council decided at its meeting today, BTA reported.

Members of Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense approved the so-called "Concept for achieving operational air defense capability with fifth-generation multi-role aircraft", announced the administration of President Klaus Iohannis.

A second Bulgarian pilot has completed the basic F-16 training course. The training took place at the US National Guard base in Tucson, Arizona.

Currently, 8 pilots are at different stages of their training. According to the first contract for the fighters, the US must train 14 pilots.

Media reports in Athens on Monday morning claimed a two-seater Hellenic Air Force F-4 "Phantom" fighter plane went down during a training flight off the northwest coast of the Peloponnese (southern Greece), in the Ionian Sea.

According to the same reports, search efforts are underway to locate the two aviators who were flying the plane.

On the forum of the game "WarThunder" on January 17, documents appeared containing information about the AIM-120 air-to-air missile. Also, on January 18, again on the same forum, a lot of secret information about another American fighter, the "F-15E Strike Eagle", appeared.

Türkiye has to give importance to the modernization plans to balance the air power in the Aegean in case of Greece's new aircraft projects, retired Turkish Air Force commander General Abidin Ünal has aid, adding that Türkiye should also rely on its domestic infrastructure.

One of the most discussed issues recently is the balance of power in the air force between Türkiye and Greece.

Zagreb – A US-registered Beechcraft Bonanza civilian aircraft flying from Greece to Slovenia was intercepted by two Croatian MiG-21 fighter jets as it entered the Croatian airspace on Monday. The aircraft continued its flight to the destination after it had been established that it could not make contact with flight control as its avionics had failed.