According to the Israeli company Elbit Systems, on January 5, 2021, the Ministries of Defense of Israel and Greece signed an intergovernmental agreement on the creation by the Israeli side of the International Flight Training Center for the Greek Air Force on the model of the Israeli Air Force flight School. The creation and operation of the Greek Air Force flight training center will be carried out under the head role of Elbit Systems.
Training and combat aircraft Leonardo M-346 Master (the designation of the Israeli Lavi) Israeli Air Force at the Israeli Air Force Flight School at Hatzerim Air Base (c) of the Israeli Air Force
As part of the agreement, ten M-346 Master combat training aircraft manufactured by the Italian company Leonardo will also be purchased for this center. Elbit Systems will also provide maintenance and modernization of the Beechcraft T-6A Texan II turboprop training aircraft available to the Greek Air Force, as well as the provision of simulators, training and logistics for the training process at this center. The M-346 and T-6A aircraft will be retrofitted with Elbit Systems avionics.
The cost of the agreement between the two countries is about $ 1.68 billion and it is designed for 20 years. The direct conclusion of the contract with Elbit Systems will take place upon completion of commercial negotiations with the Greek Ministry of National Defense.
On the part of bmpd, we will point out that, thus, Greece will probably become the sixth operator of Leonardo M-346 Master aircraft.