Greece upgraded its first F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters - $2.4 billion allocated to upgrade all aircraft
Greece upgraded its first two fourth-generation F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters.
Here's What We Know
The Greek Air Force upgraded the F-16 Block 50+ to Block 70 standard. The modernization was carried out by Hellenic Aerospace Industry, under the supervision of U.S. manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon after the Block 70 upgrade is classified as a Generation 4+ fighter because it has undergone hardware improvements over the conventional F-16. One of the major upgrades was the introduction of Northrop Grumman's fifth-generation APG-83 active phased array radar. The new radar improves the fighters' effectiveness against cruise missiles.
In addition, the F-16 Fighting Falcon received new ammunition and AGM-88E anti-radar missiles. They are used to destroy high-frequency enemy radar stations. The Viper upgrade also brought the Link 16 information sharing system, a new display, an enhanced electronic warfare system and a collision warning system. The aircraft is equipped with F110-GE-129 engine manufactured by General Electric.
In total, the Greek Air Force plans to upgrade 34 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters to Block 70 standard. The cost of the program is $2.4 billion.
Source: Bulgarian Military
Image: New Europe, Zbiam