Foreign Military Sales

The Greek F-35 program is on track, with the signing of the contract between Lockheed Martin and the US government for the start of production expected to take place next, J.R. McDonald, Lockheed Martin's Vice President for F-35 Business Development, told Kathimerini.

Greece formally approved an offer to buy 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States as part of a major defense overhaul, government officials said Thursday.

Athens has officially signed a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) with Washington for the acquisition of F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed on Thursday.

"We are building a powerful military force by purchasing the most advanced fighter jet in the world," he said during a visit to the Elefsina Air Base west of Athens.

The US government's letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the Greek request for the procurement of an F-35 fighter squadron is expected to be submitted for approval to a special committee of Greek Parliament in the coming week.

After a long delay, Washington on Monday is expected to send a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) in response to the letter in which the Hellenic Air Force requested the start of the negotiation process to acquire F-35s and other weapon systems.

Romania plans to buy 32 latest-generation F-35 fighter jets from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin for 6.5 billion dollars, the defense ministry announced on Tuesday. 

Bucharest increased its defense spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product this year from 2 percent last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

This proposed sale would support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally.

The delegations of the Turkish Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense held the second round of F-35 fighter jets consultations in Washington on Jan. 19, Türkiye's Defense Ministry has informed.

"The delegations agreed upon the continuation of the consultations. The following meeting is scheduled to take place in Ankara in spring 2023," said the statement.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force will retire its last frontline F-4 Phantom fighter jets as more F-35s wait in the wings

The US Senate Armed Services Committee said on Thursday it had authorized $9.1 billion to procure 95 F-35 aircraft in its version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, an annual bill setting policy for the Department of Defense.