Greek Armed Forces chief marks delivery of first Rafale fighter jet

The head of the Greek Armed Forces on Wednesday tweeted a teaser showing a Dassault-made Rafale fighter jet leaving its hangar with the hashtag #Rafale_En_Route.

In January, Greece signed a 2.5 billion euro deal with France to buy 18 Rafale warplanes, 12 of them used. 

General Konstantinos Floros, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), is visiting Dassault’s flight test base in Istres, southern France, for a ceremony marking the delivery of the first aircraft. 

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos will also attend the event.

“This is how storms sometimes begin… With gusts of wind. The countdown has begun,” Floros tweeted. 

Rafale means “gust of wind” in French.

#Rafale_En_Route 🔜

Έτσι εκκινούν ενίοτε οι καταιγίδες… Με “Ριπές” Ανέμου 🇬🇷 🇨🇵

Η αντίστροφη μέτρηση άρχισε!!! @Hellenic_MOD @hndgspio @Armees_Gouv @Armee_de_lair @Dassault_OnAir pic.twitter.com/4YqrVnEfL7

— GEN Konstantinos Floros (@ChiefHNDGS) July 21, 2021