PARIS —
France on Sunday confirmed that
Greece had agreed to buy six more of its Rafale jets, bringing to 24 the number of French fighters sold to Athens for billions of euros.
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"Excellent news: Greece has just announced its intention to acquire six additional Rafales. Together, we are working to build true European autonomy," French Defence Minister Florence Parly tweeted.
Greece was the first European country to buy the combat jets made by Dassault Aviation.
In January, Athens placed an order for 18 of the planes, 12 of them second-hand, in a 2.5-billion-euro deal aimed at boosting Greece's defenses faced with growing tensions with neighboring Turkey.
On Saturday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis revealed plans to acquire an additional six Rafales.
"I announced the purchase of 18 Rafale. Soon there will be 24," he said during the Thessaloniki International Fair, adding that the first aircraft, a second-hand model from France's own air force, would be flying Greek colors "before the end of the year".
France has struggled to find takers for its warplanes among its EU neighbors.
In May, Croatia became only the second European country to buy Rafales, opting for 12 previously used aircraft.
Qatar,
Egypt and
India are Dassault's biggest Rafale clients.
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