Greece to consider F-35 purchase

The acquisition by Greece of US-made F-35 fighter jets will hinge on the country's fiscal plans and Washington's ability to offer a long-term payment framework, reliable sources said Friday.

The possibility of Greece acquiring the Lockheed Martin jets as part of its efforts to upgrade the Hellenic Air Force fleet, was raised Friday by Defense Minister Evangelos Apostolakis, following remarks on Thursday by a US official about the possibility of selling the aircraft to more countries.

More specifically, Vice Admiral Mathias Winter, head of the Pentagon's F-35 office, told Congress on Thursday that sales of the jets could be expanded to include five new countries - Singapore, Spain, Romania, Greece and Poland.

"Beyond the upgrade of the F-16 fighter jets, we are in the process of selecting a new plane for Greece, so we can gradually move to the new generation of...