Rafale

Officially and on schedule, the big event for the Hellenic Armed Forces was the launching of the frigate HS Nearchos at the Naval Group shipyards in Lorient, France, last Thursday.

BELGRADE - Serbian PM Milos Vucevic said in the Serbian parliament on Monday he looked forward to an acquisition of French-made Rafale fighter jets as, alongside MiG-29 jets Serbia already had, they would make the country's skies even more secure.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday Serbia would purchase the latest version of French-made Rafale fighter jets and that talks were underway about the armament they would come with.

Belharra frigates, Rafale fighters and (if we can afford them) F-35 fighter jets are all well and good. Greece urgently needed them. We had fallen hopelessly behind, particularly the Hellenic Navy. It is also very positive that, for the first time in decades, officials are studying and redesigning the link between armaments, the defense industry and innovation.

The dogfight between a Rafale fighter jet and a F-16 Viper won the day on what was – after all – a more than impressive first day of this year’s 12th Athens Flying Week at Tanagra Air Base.

The “cherry on the cake” at the end of the day was the upgraded and renewed program of the “Zeus” demonstration aircraft against the backdrop of a magnificent sunset.

Greece will begin receiving the final batch of six Rafale fighter jets from France in late September.

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic on Tuesday dismissed as untrue reports by some local and regional media outlets that an agreement Serbia has signed with France's Dassault Aviation to buy 12 new Rafale fighter jets includes a clause under which Serbian MiG 29s will be transferred to France and then to Ukraine.

Serbia is purchasing 12 new Rafale fighter jets from France in a deal valued at 2.7 billion euros. The announcement was made during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Belgrade. These French jets will replace the Serbian Air Force's outdated fleet of Russian MiGs.

Two air force pilots, who were missing after the mid-air collision of two multi-role Rafale fighter jets in eastern France yesterday, Wednesday, have been found dead, French President Emmanuel Macron announced late last night via X (formerly Twitter).

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that, as a militarily neutral country, Serbia was acting responsibly and that it had never attacked anyone, and added that an announced purchase of French-made Rafale fighter jets was aimed at demonstrating that Serbia would be a "tough nut to crack" for anyone.