A Greek parliament committee approved on Thursday the purchase of three Brazilian-made Embraer C-390 military transport aircraft and several types of drones from the US and Israel, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The total cost of the defense systems, which also include 10 British-built VICTA mini-submarines for special operations, amounts to €1 billion to €1.2 billion ($1.15 billion-$1.38 billion).
“Half of this amount will be allocated for the purchase and the follow-on support of the C-390,” one of the sources said. The rest of the money will be spent on one Heron air drone system from Israel, 10 V-BATs air drones from the US, and the upgrade of four German-made frigates MEKO-200.
Greece, which currently operates old C-130 and C-27 transport aircraft, plans to spend about €28 billion by 2036 to modernize its armed forces as it emerges from a 2009-2018 debt crisis and tries to keep pace with its historic rival Turkey.
The new purchases will also need to be approved by the country’s top decision-making body on foreign affairs and defence matters, KYSEA, but they are expected to approve the purchases. [Reuters]
