Defense minister reacts to criticism over F-16 deal
Defense Minister Panos Kammenos has reacted to criticism from opposition New Democracy following reports of a 2.4 billion dollar deal to upgrade the F-16 aircraft in Greece’s Air Force announced during Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's visit to the United States.
“The budget ceiling for the upgrade of the F-16 [fighter jets] will be 1.1 billion euros. The rest relates to subsidy packages and offsets,” Kammenos said in a message posted on Twitter.
On Tuesday, the conservative opposition remarked that the only “tangible outcome” of Tsipras’s visit to Washington had been “an expensive deal for upgrading Greek F-16 aircraft.”
“The deal will cost the Greek economy 2.4 billion dollars, offering jobs not in Greece but in the US,” New Democracy said. “We honestly hope that such an important opportunity for our country has not been lost,” it said.
