Lockheed Martin announced that it will launch the upgrade of 85 Greek F-16 fighter jets with the Block 70/72 Viper system next Monday. 

Lockheed Martin’s VP Business Development Initiatives in Europe Dennys Plessas made the announcement during a press conference in Thessaloniki. Plessas explained the timetable of the upgrade and said that “a great part of the upgrade will take place in Greece.” 

The first two years will be spent on engineering for the prototype and the registration of the systems. The installation on Greek fighter jets will take place during the third year of the program, and the Hellenic Airforce pilots will be trained in the fourth year. 

Plessas said, the F-16s and the fifth-generation F-22 and F-35 share some technology, including the new radars to be installed (digital sweeping model APG83).