F-35 jets procurement letter heads for House approval
The US government’s letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for the Greek request for the procurement of an F-35 fighter squadron is expected to be submitted for approval to a special committee of Greek Parliament in the coming week.
Greek Defense Ministry sources have clarified to Kathimerini that Athens is moving to acquire 20 fifth-generation fighters and that, for the time being, the option for an additional 20 F-35s is not being considered. The LOA, which covers the cost of the aircraft, training, support, infrastructure, and all stages leading up to its acquisition, expires in the last week of July.
The House approval will essentially allow the Department of Defense, specifically the Directorate General of Defense Equipment and Investment, to sign the letter to notify the US government. The US State Department will then forward the document to the manufacturer and the whole chain of manufacturers involved in the F-35’s production, as specified in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program process.
Once the US government and Lockheed Martin have signed the contract, this company will commit to the slots, putting the first Greek F-35s into production.
