The F-16V Viper significantly improves the Hellenic Air Force’s ability to operate jointly with its Rafales, its future F-35s and other NATO platforms.
Lockheed Martin announced on Sep. 23, 2025, the delivery of the 42nd upgraded F-16V Viper to the HAF (Hellenic Air Force), marking the halfway point in Greece’s modernization program. “This milestone strengthens Greece’s role in allied operations and underscores our commitment to delivering mission-ready capability,” the company said.
The HAF is currently upgrading 84 of its F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft to the F-16V Viper Block 72 configuration, as per a 2018 contract with Lockheed. The F-16V Viper designation is meant for aircraft upgraded to the Block 70/72 standard, rather than newly built airframes.
This upgrade program for the HAF, which will continue until 2027, will give its F-16V Vipers the APG-83 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, Modular Mission Computer, enhanced avionics, Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System and improved cockpit displays and controls, making Greece’s F-16V fleet among the most advanced in Europe.
We’ve delivered the 4⃣2⃣nd upgraded F-16V to @HAFspokesperson, marking the halfway point in Greece’s fleet modernization program! ✈️🇬🇷
This milestone strengthens Greece’s role in allied operations and underscores our commitment to delivering mission-ready capability. pic.twitter.com/ViGCzbhzko
— Lockheed Martin Europe (@LMEuropeNews) September 23, 2025
Hellenic Air Force Upgrade Plans
Ekathimerini credited the uptick in the deliveries of the upgraded models “to the close cooperation between Lockheed Martin, the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, the US government and the Air Force.” The report quoted Lockheed’s Vice President of the Integrated Fighter Group Mike Shoemaker, who said “The F-16 Viper enhances interoperability within NATO, improves operational effectiveness, and strengthens Greece’s role in the security of the wider region.”
Greece has 121-122 Block 50/52+/52+ Advanced fighters, and originally planned to upgrade this entire fleet to the F-16V Viper configuration. However, it later decided to include only the Block 52+ and Block 52+ Advanced, while for the remaining 38 F-16C/D Block 50s It would pursue an in-house modernization and SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) by using equipment removed from the Block 52 airframes during the Viper Block 70 upgrade.
This work was to be undertaken in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, which would collaborate with Greece’s domestic Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAB). However, as we reported here at The Aviationist, Greek authorities were reconsidering the modernization of the 38 F-16 Block 50s.
This change of plan was said to be owing to the slow pace of the negotiations with Lockheed Martin; jet considered an obsolete variant which would not be delivered before the end of the decade (2031-32); upgraded Block 50s not fully optimized to team up with the F-35A and the Rafale; the possible need for another upgrade intervention by the end of that decade, owing to the age of the airframes.
Athens had therefore found exercising the option to buy at least a part of the 20 additional F-35A Lightning II, increasing the orderd of the 20 it already signed on Jul. 25, 2024. However, as other reports said, no final decision has been taken in this regard, and the negotiations with Lockheed Martin are still underway.
Halfway Mark of F-16V Upgrade
Veteranos revealed that the 42nd F-16 Viper delivered to the HAF was also upgraded in collaboration with EAB/HAI’s facilities in Tanagra and Lockheed Martin, marking the 50% milestone of the upgrade program. The report quoted president and CEO of the EAB Alexandros Diakopoulos, who said: “Domestic added value stays in Greece and is transformed into security for the Aegean. We continue with the same momentum, alongside the Air Force.”
Παραλαβή των 2 Πρώτων Εκσυγχρονισμένων Αεροσκαφών F-16 Viper pic.twitter.com/YQ1vFibYoh
— Hellenic Air Force (@HAFspokesperson) September 13, 2022
“The upgrade is being carried out in Greece, with the contribution of specialized Lockheed Martin teams, while the Greek economy has already reaped benefits of over $1 billion from the program,” added the report. According to Greek City Times, the upgraded F-16V Vipers are being distributed between the Souda-based 115th Fighter Wing’s 343rd “Asteri,” 340th “Alepou” and 337th “Phantom” squadrons.
The pilots are “logging […] hundreds of Viper flight hours, shifting the Air Force toward network-centric warfare, with a focus on fully leveraging the aircraft’s advanced features,” said the report. It also praised the AESA APG-83 radar for offering “superior target detection and tracking at classified ranges, providing a significant edge.”
“Paired with the upgraded Link 16 system, it enables real-time data sharing across networked aircraft and the Operations Center, enhancing air defense coordination. The radar excels at detecting and analyzing air, sea, and ground targets, critical for the complex threat scenarios in the Aegean,” Greek City Times further said.
30th F-16 “Viper” delivered to the Hellenic Air Force! ✅
This upgrade strengthens Greece’s defense and its ability to operate seamlessly with allied forces. 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/knDKAZyHda
— Lockheed Martin Europe (@LMEuropeNews) January 15, 2025
The significance of AESA radars and tactical data links was demonstrated during the recent INIOCHOS 25 and Ramstein Flag 25 exercises, where the HAF Vipers equipped with these features “delivered impressive results in networked operations […] when paired with other Vipers, Rafales or the F-35s.”
HAF’s Other Fleets
The HAF also operates 24 Dassault Rafale F3Rs, a number that the Greek government does not plan to expand, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsosakis’s wide-ranging interview to Defence Review in November 2024. The service also operates 24 Mirage 2000-5 Mark IIs, split into 19 EG and 5 BG variants, according to the 2025 World Air Forces report.
