Greece to upgrade its F-16 fleet to block V configuration

vilters · by **vilters** » 10 Feb 2018, 21:47

Greece has no money.

Will Europe sponsorship pay for the upgrade?

That would drive Erdoclown more and more into the Russian camp.

popcorn · by **popcorn** » 10 Feb 2018, 22:41

Sensible move by the HAF.

laos · by **laos** » 12 Feb 2018, 15:33

vilters wrote:Greece has no money. Will Europe sponsorship pay for the upgrade?.

Greece has no money to pay debt or for it's people but Greece have money for defence.
I have spoken to Greek officers and they were all very serious about the Turkish threat. Surprisingly for me, they perceived Turkey as a real and present threat and voices appeared that the issue of some conflict is only a matter of time.

Europe will never sponsor American equipment. They might transfer some second-hand equipment for free and expect Greece pay for maintenance and repair.

tbarlow · by **tbarlow** » 14 Feb 2018, 06:30

Greece has kept it's F-4 flying after all these years, I can't begin to imagine how long their F-16's will be kept flying...

geokav · by **geokav** » 29 Apr 2018, 20:25

Latest news are that only blk52+, 52+adv will be upgraded to V configuration. Total 83 F-16s.
There are some plans that older blk50 may be upgraded to blk 50+ adv (with components from the upgraded planes), but this will be a different program.

Boman · by **Boman** » 30 Apr 2018, 20:04

Probably taking the radars from the block 52+'s and installing these in the block 50's.

geokav · by **geokav** » 13 Sep 2018, 21:36

"HAF's upgrade program of F-16s to "Vipers" will start this Monday (09/17)" stated by Dennis Plessas Lockheed Martin’s VP Business Development Initiatives in Europe.
This will provide HAF with 85 F-16Vs (blocks 52+ and 52+adv to be upgraded).

https://www.thenationalherald.com/21319 ... rt-monday/

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 15 Sep 2018, 15:58

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 03 Jan 2019, 18:56

Blog on the HELLENIC F-16V UPGRADE

https://www.blogbeforeflight.net/2019/0 ... grade.html

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 07 Feb 2021, 14:03

6 Feb 2021
The first upgraded F-16 Viper of the Hellenic Air Force will land on Wednesday at the aerospace facility in Fort Worth, Texas, currently owned by the US Air Force and operated by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, where, for a few months, it will undergo final tests.

Its long journey, of some 10,000 kilometers, started on Thursday afternoon from the 114th Battle Wing at the Tanagra Air Base in northern Attica.

American insignia were affixed to the aircraft, which was also legally registered with the United States Air Force (USAF) in order to avoid problems flying into the country’s airspace.

This means that until it returns to Greece, for legal reasons, the plane has been registered as part of the USAF fleet.

The jet has made a stop at a US Air Force base in Belgium where it will remain until Wednesday morning, when it will depart with three other F-16s from other countries for its final destination in Texas.

https://www.ekathimerini.com/262079/art ... y-to-texas

basher54321 · by **basher54321** » 12 Sep 2022, 19:39

The most advanced F-16s in Europe with upgraded capabilities are the first two F-16 Viper fighters that the Air Force received on Monday, September 12, out of a total of 83 fighters that will be modernized and at least six that will be delivered in 2022.

As announced by the American company Lockheed Martin, which in collaboration with the Hellenic Aviation Industry (EIA) today jointly delivered the first two F-16 Viper fighters to the Air Force, "the aircraft allow the Air Force to successfully deal with emerging threats in region and operate as part of allied missions worldwide'.

In particular, the main systems being upgraded as part of the program include the following:

– AESA APG-83 radar

– New Modular Mission computer (MMC-7000AH), ADT

– New information and display screens between the footwells

– New APX-126 AIFF with mod 5 capability

– Integration of SNIPER POD, SASSM and PaveWay II projectiles

– Link-16 capability

F-16 upgrades are carried out at ODA under close technical guidance from Lockheed Martin teams.

The ODA staff working on the F-16 Viper program consists of a core group of more than 21 experienced employees, while dozens of new employees have been hired and trained so far during four different phases.

The upgrades of F-16s to Vipers, the statement added, have brought jobs and investments to Greece. Specifically, Lockheed Martin's programs have led to more than 350 new ODA hires by 2021, more than have been made in an entire decade.

The upgrade history of fighter jets
The first F-16 to be upgraded joined the ODA in February 2020. The aircraft was ready for test flights in early 2021. It then flew to the US for more flight and ground tests, which took place in February 2021.

Other aircraft joined in March and April 2021, completing flight tests this summer.

Deliveries to ODA continue, while it is worth noting that the 12 berths in the Tanagra hangar are occupied with aircraft and upgrade work.

The upgrade of all 83 Air Force F-16s to Vipers is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.

Images from the delivery of the first two F-16 Vipers
CNN Greece carried the first images of the first F-16 Vipers from the EAB facilities in Tanagra, Boeotia.

https://adieksodos.gr/f-16-viper-ti-sys ... eroskafon/