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Hellenic Air Force receives 30th modernized F-16V "Viper"

January 16, 2025 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) has taken delivery of its 30th F-16V “Viper” modernized by Hellenic Aerospace Industries (EAB) under the supervision of Lockheed Martin.

On 15 Jan 2025, The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) has taken delivery of its 30th F-16V “Viper” modernized by Hellenic Aerospace Industries (EAB) under the supervision of Lockheed Martin. [Photo by Hellenic Aerospace Industries]

Greece will be upgrading a total of 83 block 52+ jets to the latest standard, a project which is scheduled be completed by 2027. The first two fully upgraded F-16V Block 72 Viper fighter jets were delivered back in September 2022.

The electronics are the main focus of the Block 70/72 upgrade. Among the new systems installed we can find the APG-83 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, a new Center Pedestal Display (CPD), the AN/APX-126 Advanced IFF (Identification Friend or Foe), Link 16 datalink, full NVIS (Night Vision Imaging System) and JHCMS II (Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System II) compatibility, a new Embedded GPS/INS (EGI), a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a high-volume, high-speed data bus and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

To reduce costs, Greece has decided to reuse some systems and armaments already integrated in the current Hellenic F-16 configuration, such as the LANTIRN pods, the GBU-50 guided bomb and the IRIS-T air-to-air missile.

The Hellenic Air Force is also upgrading 38 block 50 aircraft to Block 52+/ADV from the spare parts of the Block 52+/ADV aircraft getting upgraded to “Vipers.” The work will be carried out before 2030, and the aircraft will serve until 2060.

These F-16s, along with the 24 French Dassault Rafale (last one delivered on 09 Jan 2025) and the future Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs, will form the core of Greece's combat capability for decades to come. They currently operate around 227 fighter jets and boast one of NATO's largest air fleets, even surpassing the UK and France individually.

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Additional images:

HAF F-16V