Greece selects F-35 Lightning II
Image courtesy Lockheed Martin
"We are excited to welcome Greece into the F-35 enterprise," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, director and program executive officer, F-35 Joint Program Office. "The F-35 will provide exceptional capability to the Hellenic Air Force, build interoperability between our allies and strengthen the combat effectiveness for all of NATO."
"For several decades, the Hellenic Air Force has been our partner, and it is our honor to continue that relationship as Greece becomes the 19th nation to join the F-35 programme," said Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager of the F-35 programme. "The F-35 is the only fighter suitable to strengthen Greece's sovereignty and operational capability with allies."
The F-35 offers interoperability with NATO and other allied assets, which stands as a significant advantage for the US and its allies. By the 2030s, more than 600 F-35s will work together from more than 10 European countries, including two full US F-35 squadrons stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.
"The F-35's growing presence across Europe is a powerful testament of alliance-based deterrence and is setting the foundation for NATO and allied nations' next generation air power capability," said Mara Motherway, Lockheed Martin vice president of Strategy and Business Development.
To date, the F-35 operates from 32 bases worldwide, with 10 nations operating F-35s on home soil. There are nearly 1,000 aircraft operational with more than 860,000 flight hours fleetwide.
