US Navy taps into retired Air Force F‑16s amid Greek sale hurdle
The United States expressed interest in purchasing several dozen F-16 fighters from Greece, but contrary to emerging media reports, the aircraft would not be sent to Ukraine. The plans for their use were entirely different.
In March of this year, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias officially announced that the sale of older F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters was planned as part of the "biggest reform program in the history of the modern Greek state." In July, Al Jazeera reported that the United States would buy F-16 fighters from Greece and transfer them to Ukraine. However, this scenario will not be realized.
Greek F-16s not for Ukraine
In one of the press releases from Fighter Squadron Composite 13 (VFC-13), it was revealed that Greek F-16 fighters were considered to serve the U.S. Navy during exercises and play the role of "aggressors". However, nothing came of the negotiations, so such tasks will be performed by F-16 fighters retired from service in the U.S. Army.
"After encountering issues with buying from Greece, we capitalized on the Air Force’s plan to retire over 30 F-16s with 2,000 to 3,000 flight hours remaining. This led to a successful transfer agreement for 30 aircraft, 26 of which were allocated for Navy use, with 12 specifically designated for VFC-13," said Traver Fordham, executive director of VFC-13, as quoted by the Alert5 portal.
After the withdrawal of outdated F/A-18s, VFC-13 had only 12 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets at their disposal. Acquiring used F-16s was an urgent need.
Which F-16s did Greece withdraw?
Greece decided to withdraw over 30 F-16 fighters in F-16C (single-seat) and F-16D (two-seat) versions. These aircraft were acquired in the late 1980s and modernized in the second half of the 1990s, extending their lifespan from 4,000 to 8,000 flight hours.
They can reach speeds up to Mach 2 (over 1,200 mph) and operate at altitudes up to 50,000 ft. They measure almost 50 ft in length, and their take-off weight reaches almost 38,000 lb. The weapons they carry can weigh up to 15,000 lbs and include, among others, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, Python-4, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, or Penguin missiles, as well as bombs. The manufacturer standardly installed a six-barrel 20 mm cannon.
