the Lockheed Martin

The meeting in Athens on Friday between representatives of US company Lockheed Martin with the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Dimosthenis Grigoriadis will, Kathimerini understands, have a specific agenda, including a number of armament programs in which Greece has expressed interest.

Embarking on a visit to the United States, Defense Minister Todor Tagarev, accompanied by Defense Chief Admiral Emil Eftimov, directed their attention to the Lockheed Martin plants in Greenville, South Carolina. Their mission: to engage with company executives, observe the aircraft production process, and monitor the advancement of the F-16 Block 70 destined for the Bulgarian Air Force.

In a significant milestone for Bulgaria's military modernization, representatives from the Ministry of Defense and the Bulgarian Air Force recently undertook a comprehensive tour of the Lockheed Martin plant in Greenville, South Carolina. The purpose of the visit was to witness firsthand the advanced stages of assembly for the F-16 Block 70 fighters destined for Bulgaria.

Turkey may reconsider its decision to buy US-made F-35 fighter jets due to their technical problems and increase expense, according to sources in the Turkish military and Defence Ministry, cited by pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper on Thursday.

Washington is looking at imposing financial sanctions on Turkish firms beyond those that build parts for the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet, over Ankara's plans to buy a Russian air defense system, a top Pentagon official said on Monday.

Senior Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives again today called on Turkey to cancel its planned acquisition of a Russian S-400 missile defense system, the latest effort by U.S. lawmakers to discourage Ankara from pursuing the deal.

Senior Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives called on Turkey on Wednesday to cancel its planned acquisition of a Russian S-400 missile defense system, the latest effort by US lawmakers to discourage Ankara from pursuing the deal.

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.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Tuesday that he wanted NATO ally Turkey to remain in the F-35 fighter jet program, but added that Ankara needed to buy the Patriot missile defense system.

At a House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing, Shanahan was asked whether the United States wanted Turkey in the F-35 program.

Turkey needs to choose between the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets it has ordered from the United States or the acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile system, Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen told Kathimerini in a recent interview at Congress.