Greece signs new arms deals with France worth $4.4 billion

By DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece has signed deals worth some 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) to buy three navy frigates and six additional Rafale fighter jets from France, as Athens strengthens its armed forces in response to tension with neighboring Turkey. Defense ministers Nikos Panagiotopoulos of Greece and France’s Florence Parly attended the signing ceremony on the eve of Greece’s national day, on board a 112-year-old battleship that is currently a floating museum. The three FDI-class French frigates will be delivered by 2026. The agreement signed Thursday includes an option to purchase a fourth frigate at a later date. The six new Rafale jets, to be built by France’s Dassault Aviation, were added to an earlier order of 18 Rafales.