Hellenic aerospace and defense modernization

The Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV) is expanding its operational scope into the space sector, including the construction of a Clean Room facility for assembling and testing satellites up to 500 kilograms. The company is also focused on aircraft modernization, having already modernized 60 F-16 Block 52 fighter jets to the Viper standard, with further upgrades for Block 50 aircraft planned in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. Additionally, EAV is scheduled to begin upgrading Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft to the CL-515 version.

Parallel to these industrial developments, the Hellenic Air Force is evaluating advanced sensor technologies to enhance the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of its F-16 fleet. This includes the consideration of the Israeli IAI-ELTA ELM-2060PES reconnaissance radar, which utilizes Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology. Furthermore, a competition is ongoing to select a new targeting pod for F-16 Viper aircraft, with the Lockheed Martin Sniper ATP/NTP and the Israeli Rafael Litening 5 serving as the primary contenders.