Originally Posted by
ORAC
AW&ST
Greece has taken delivery of its first of 18 Dassault Rafales, six months after contract signature. The first aircraft—a two-seat Rafale B—is one of 12 secondhand aircraft being delivered directly from the French Air Force inventory. Another six aircraft will be newly built…..
Six Rafales in total will be delivered by year-end, with the second batch of six arriving in early 2022. As for the new-build aircraft, they are expected to arrive in 2023. The French Air and Space Force has already ordered 12 new-build Rafales to replace those being handed over to Greece.
According to Dassault Aviation, a first group of Greek pilots are being trained by the French Air and Space Force. Meanwhile, technicians are receiving training at the OEM’s Aviation Conversion Training Center near Bordeaux.
The first aircraft will fly to Greece in the next few weeks. The type will be based alongside the Greek Dassault Mirage 2000 fleet at Tanagra Air Base, north of Athens….
As well as the Rafales, Greece also purchased a weapons package that includes the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. The weapon can be carried by the Rafale thanks to the F3R upgrade, which all the Greek Rafales will feature.
Greece—the first European export customer for the Rafale—has subsequently been joined by Croatia, which will also take 12 secondhand Rafales from French Air and Space Force stocks.