On January 9, the last Dassault Rafale fighter jet ordered by Greece was delivered to Tanagra Air Base. This completes the procurement of 24 aircraft for the Hellenic Air Force’s 332nd Fighter Squadron. The squadron is the only unit in Greece equipped with Rafale F3R multi-role aircraft.
The first contract, signed on January 25, 2021, provided for the delivery of 18 Rafale fighter jets by 2022-2023. To speed up the process, 12 of these aircraft were transferred from the French Air Force, and the remaining six were newly manufactured. The second agreement, signed on March 24, 2022, added six more jets, all newly produced.
The first Rafale arrived in Greece in July 2021, but training operations were initially carried out in France. Greek pilots brought the first six aircraft to Tanagra in January 2022. The final delivery, a single-seat jet with tail number 457, marks the end of this procurement program.
Greece’s Rafale fleet currently consists of 18 single-seat Rafale EGs and six two-seat Rafale DGs. Previously, the 332nd Fighter Squadron operated French Mirage 2000EGM/BGM jets, which were replaced by the more advanced Rafale.
Despite the Rafale’s positive reception among Greek pilots, the Greek government is already planning for next-generation capabilities. On July 25, 2024, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced a contract to acquire 20 American-made F-35A fighter jets. Deliveries of the F-35A jet are scheduled to begin in 2028.
