WASHINGTON, November 18 (Sputnik) — The US Department of State has approved a proposed $188 million deal for the maintenance and sustainment of Greece's F-16 fighter jets, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is a part of the US Department of Defense, said in a press release Tuesday.
"The Government of Greece needs this aircraft support to ensure its F-16 fleet is properly sustained and modernized to maintain interoperability with the United States and other NATO countries. The continued support and maintenance of Greece's F-16 fleet will ensure the effectiveness of its capabilities and ability to support future contributions to NATO operations," the agency said.
The proposed sale, which will be carried out by defense contractors Northrup Grumman and Lockheed Martin, was approved after a request by Greece. The deal includes supporting aircraft hardware and software, repairs, providing support equipment and making modifications to the aircraft.
The DSCA states that it notified the US Congress of this possible military sale on November 17. Under US law Congress must be informed 15 days prior to any sale to a NATO member.
