Greece's F-35 parity breaker stirs anxiety in Turkey: "To Istanbul and Ankara — without refueling"

Greece showcases the range of its F-35 jets against Turkey, discussing their ability to penetrate deep into Turkish territory and return without refueling. Meanwhile, Athens is accelerating a US arms deal worth up to $4 billion, including upgrades to F-16s and missile purchases. These developments come against the backdrop of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Athens, where he emphasized Washington's commitment to Greek security.

Greece is showcasing the range of its F-35 jets against Turkey, discussing their ability to penetrate deep into Turkish territory and return to base without aerial refueling. The discussion aired shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Athens, where he emphasized Washington's commitment to Greek security and addressed the possibility of Turkey receiving F-35s in the future, subject to the removal of a legal barrier related to its possession of Russian S-400 systems. Concurrently, Athens is accelerating a US arms deal worth up to $4 billion, including the upgrade of 37 additional F-16 Block 50 jets and the purchase of advanced missiles and bombs. Greece is already in the midst of a broad air force modernization program, including the upgrade of 82 F-16s to the Viper configuration, the purchase of 20 F-35s, and 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. This move is part of the "Agenda 2030" plan to deepen local defense industry capabilities. Greek Foreign Minister Gerapetritis stated that any attempt to violate sovereign rights will be met with all means, and that Greece is negotiating from a stronger position.