Greece gets first 2 upgraded F-16s out of a total 83

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS
Associated Press

TANAGRA, Greece (AP) — Greece’s air force has taken delivery of a first pair of upgraded F-16 military jets under a $1.5 billion program to fully modernize its fighter fleet amid increasing tensions with neighboring Turkey. The two F-16s presented at the Tanagra airbase are the first of 83 that will be upgraded over the next six years by Greece’s Hellenic Aerospace Industry in coordination with manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The head of Greece’s joint chiefs of staff said Monday that the program’s successful and timely completion “is an issue of the highest national importance.”