Greek F-35 program on track, says Lockheed Martin VP
The Greek F-35 program is on track, with the signing of the contract between Lockheed Martin and the US government for the start of production expected to take place next, J.R. McDonald, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for F-35 Business Development, told Kathimerini.
“With the signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) by the Greek government in July, negotiations for the intergovernmental agreement have begun. The next steps include the signing of a contract between the US government and Lockheed Martin for the production and delivery of Greece’s F-35s,” McDonald said.
He said the first jets will be delivered to the Hellenic Air Force in four years. “We are on schedule for the delivery of the initial batch of 20 F-35s in 2028.”
The first fighter jets for Greece will be manufactured in the United States, while the rest could be assembled at the company’s facilities in neighboring Italy, one of the three factories worldwide capable of producing F-35s.
“Although there is no official plan regarding where the aircraft will be produced or the final production timelines, we expect the first eight F-35s for Greece to be built in the US. The aircraft are expected to be delivered to Greece in 2030,” McDonald emphasized.
According to Kathimerini sources, the construction of the first Greek F-35 is expected to begin in approximately two years. Greece initially aims to acquire a squadron of 20 fighter jets, with an option to procure an additional 20 F-35s after 2030.
