Greece and the United States finalized $4 billion in Foreign Military Sales this week following their sixth Strategic Di...

Greece and the United States finalized $4 billion in Foreign Military Sales this week following their sixth Strategic Dialogue in Athens, co-chaired by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. The official joint statement doesn't break down what Greece is actually buying, but Kathimerini has reporting on where most of it goes. According to the Greek newspaper, roughly $1.2 billion covers missiles and precision-guided munitions for Greece's existing F-16s and its F-35s, which aren't scheduled to arrive until late 2029. That's a significant detail, Greece is buying weapons for jets it doesn't have yet. Another $1 billion goes toward upgrading Block 50 F-16s under the Viper upgrade program, which is reportedly set to wrap by end of 2027, and between $800 million and $900 million covers maintenance and sustainment for Greece's older F-16 fleet. Helicopter support is also part of the package. That accounts for roughly $3 billion of the $4 billion total. The remaining amount isn't itemized in any public document, and Stryker armored vehicles came up during the dialogue but without an attached price tag. The deal also includes a counterterrorism information-sharing agreement, expansion of the National Guard State Partnership Program between Greece and Florida, and cooperation on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. On energy, both sides pointed to the Vertical Gas Corridor and hydrocarbon exploration as ongoing priorities. Rubio, speaking to Kathimerini separately, called a Greece-Turkey conflict "unthinkable" and said Washington would not allow it to happen. He also addressed Greece's request for advanced weapons systems similar to those supplied to Israel for its own F-35s, saying there was no official answer yet and that the decision rests with President Trump. The question hanging over this announcement is straightforward. A deal this size, structured largely around upgrading jets Greece already operates and arming jets it won't receive for three more years, reads more like a long-term modernization program than a rapid deterrence move. Whether that changes the calculus in the Aegean is another matter entirely. #...