Athena had concluded a deal with Washington to purchase the fifth generation of advanced combat aircraft, and had already received six aircraft that were originally intended for sale to Turkey.

 

Instead of Turkey ... Greece could be the leading power for NATO in the Mediterranean

A military news site linked to the Pentagon said Greece could assume Turkey's role as the leading air power for NATO in the eastern Mediterranean.

In light of the Turkish tension with NATO and Greece's acquisition of American stealth aircraft that were supposed to be acquired by Ankara, Athens is moving to be the leading air power in the eastern Mediterranean.

RealClearDefense, linked to the Pentagon, indicated that Greece's acquisition of the American F-35 stealth fighter aircraft, along with its current air force of more than a hundred F-16 fighters, will make it a bulwark for the southern flank of NATO.

Athena had concluded a deal with Washington to purchase the fifth generation of advanced combat aircraft, and had already received six aircraft that were originally intended for sale to Turkey.

The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 production and purchase program in 2019, in response to Ankara's purchase of a Russian-made missile defense system, as NATO said that the Russian defense system Turkey tested in October was threatening the security of its defense network.

The site believes that American stealth fighters have become a major feature of the military alliance's plans to deter Russian aggression, and that the survivability of the advanced aircraft and its versatility provide combat advantages that Russia cannot match, and its adoption by many NATO members confirms that the diverse air forces will harmonize effectively in combat.

The site added that Turkey's warm relations with Russia and differences with the European Union make Greece an increasingly attractive candidate for intervention, stressing that the United States is already looking to the Irakleion Air Base on the Greek island of Crete to replace the Turkish Incirlik Air Base.