Greece increases armament share in 2020 defense budget by 5 times

Greece, which is experiencing tension with Turkey in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, plans to spend 2.5 billion euros on military spending next year. That amount is close to five times the spending in 2020.

Greece increased its armament share under the 2021 defense budget by 5 times compared to this year to 2.5 billion euros. A voting session in the Greek Parliament adopted the state budget in 2021, including the defense budget. The country's defense budget was increased to 5.49 billion euros, while the share allocated for armaments spending within the defense budget was increased to 2.5 billion euros.

AN AGREEMENT WILL BE SIGNED WITH FRANCE FOR 18 RAFALE-TYPE FIGHTER JETS

Prime minister Kiryakos Micotakis told lawmakers in parliament that the agreement for 18 Rafale-type fighter jets planned to be purchased from France will be signed in Athens in a few days, noting that these aircraft will start being delivered next year. Arguing that his country should increase its military spending despite all the difficulties, Micotakis said the government plans to buy new frigates, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Rafale aircraft, and update the existing F-16 fleet.

IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT 10 BILLION EUROS WOULD BE SPENT OVER 10 YEARS

The Athens administration has announced that it will spend $ 10 billion on armaments over the next 10 years. The country's military budget, which was 7.24 billion euros in 2008 due to the economic crisis it has been in for more than 10 years, fell to 3.74 billion euros in 2018. The Athens administration, which set the 2019 defense budget at 3.38 billion euros, kept the armament share there at 542 million 779 thousand euros. Greece's 2020 defense budget stood at 3.97 billion euros, while the share allocated for armament spending stood at 540 million 692 thousand euros.