US confirms Greece is seeking to buy F-35s amid tensions with Turkey
The US acknowledgment follows a report earlier this month that Athens formally requested to buy as many as 24 of the advanced fighter aircraft.
The United States’ ambassador to Greece confirmed in a statement today that Athens has sought to purchase Lockheed Martin’s advanced F-35 fighter jet amid tensions with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.
“The United States, at the highest levels, has welcomed Greece’s interest in acquiring the F-35 for the Hellenic Air Force,” Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt said in a statement.
“We have signaled our support for procurement and are working closely together on a future acquisition program,” Pyatt said.
The nod from Washington follows high tensions between Turkey and its Eastern Mediterranean neighbors over hydrocarbon drilling rights, as well as concerns in some Arab states over Ankara’s growing influence in the region.
