The US will soon receive a letter of request (LOR) from the Hellenic Air Force asking them to upgrade 38 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters to the V variant.
The Hellenic Air Force (HAF) will soon send a letter of request (LOR) to the US for the upgrade of 38 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters to the V variant, Alert 5 first noted.
According to Ekathimerini.com, the letter would resolve another pending issue in the modernization efforts of the Hellenic Air Force and its transformation into one of the most significant in the wider region.
The modernization of the 38 F-16s will take place at Nea Anchialos Air Base, while at the same time, the upgrade of the F-16 Viper is continuing at Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB).
Two F-16 Vipers are already ready and in order to start the training of their pilots in Greece the time of their delivery in the coming months is being discussed between the Hellenic Air Force and that of the US.
There is also a clear plan for the older F-16 Block 30s.
Accordingly, the older F-16s are not going to be transferred anywhere outside Greece, nor is there any plan to give them away, but they will remain operationally active as they carry a huge workload in the Aegean on a daily basis.
Instead, ways to keep them at high availability are being considered, while a number of them will be converted into training aircraft for new fighters as an introduction to the future fleet of the newer F-16 Viper, Block 52+ Advanced and upgraded Block 50 types.
Greece currently employs a mix of F-16s in Block 30, Block 50, Block 52+, and Block 52+ Advanced configurations. Therefore, Greece will have no difficulty absorbing the upgrade of these aircraft from an operation and support standpoint.
According to Lockheed Martin, having served with 28 customers around the world, the F-16 continues to prove itself as the world’s most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft. Currently the F-16V, an option for both new production F-16s and F-16 upgrades, is the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market. The F-16V configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security.
The F-16V provides advanced combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16V configuration is the APG-83 AESA radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus. Operational capabilities are enhanced through a Link-16 Theater Data Link, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, advanced weapons, precision GPS navigation, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
