First upgraded F-16 returns from the US after extensive tests
The first upgraded F-16 Viper of the Hellenic Air Force is returning to Greece following 2.5 years of exhaustive testing at the US Air Force aerospace facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
The F-16 is travelling with three F-35s scheduled to be delivered to Israel. The journey of the four fighter jets started on Tuesday, when the planes took off from Fort Worth base and arrived in the Azores at 5:45 p.m. local, after nearly eight hours of flight, having covered a distance of about 6,000 kilometers.
If all goes according to plan, the F-16 Block 72 Viper will arrive in Greece within the day and land at the facilities of the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB).
The jet will remain briefly in Tanagra Air Base in northern Attica to change its insignia – as it is currently registered with the United States Air Force (USAF) – and it is expected to join the 343 Squadron Asteri, boosting the F-16 fleet.
