Greece Wants To Join F-35 Jet Program - Prime Minister

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th January, 2020) Greece is very interested in joining the US-led program to produce and procure the F-35 fifth generation fighter jet, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told US President Donald Trump.

"Greece is interested, Mr. President, in participating in the F-35 program," Mitsotakis said during a meeting with Trump at the White House on Tuesday. "As you know, we are already upgrading our F-16s and that program will be completed in 2023-2024. So we are very much interested in participating in the F-35 after that.

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Mitsotakis expressed hope that in reviewing Greece's request the United States will take into consideration the fact that Greece was "coming out of the economic crisis."

Greece has suffered years of severe economic crisis and imposed a policy of fiscal austerity to offset widespread mismanagement, waste and corruption, including in the defense sector.

Last year, the United States expelled Turkey, Greece's chief regional rival, from the F-35 program as a penalty for buying Russian S-400 air defense systems.