After France turned down its offer to buy its 24 Mirage 2000-5 fighter planes, Greece finds it difficult to sell them, which affects plans to fund further Rafale acquisitions for the Hellenic Air Force.
Greek media source Ekathimerini claims that past conversations with possible purchasers, including India, have not attracted much attention. According to reports, Greece decided not to pursue the agreement even when Ukraine expressed interest in buying the aircraft.
France's unwillingness to buy back the Mirage 2000-5, which would have been sent to Ukraine, shows its dedication to phasing off the aircraft in favour of the Rafale for its own air force. This also emphasises Greece's less importance in France's defence sales, especially when Greece lowered its initial Rafale F3R order from 36 to 24 aircraft.
Furthermore, the Follow-On Support (FOS) arrangement for the Mirage 2000-5 will end in 2027; its renewal is unknown since the manufacturer has turned all of its support to the Rafale.
