ARIE EGOZI / TEL AVIV
Greece has abandoned plans to acquire an Elisra electronic warfare (EW) system for its next batch of 50 Lockheed Martin F-16C/DBlock 50-Plus in favour of a Raytheon-developed upgraded Advanced Self Protection Integrated Suite (ASPIS).
Elisra has been battling for the order for nearly two years, as the US government attempted to block a Greek buy of the Israeli equipment. Israeli defence ministry officials will visit Athens this week in an attempt to overturn the decision.
In September 2000, the Greek defence ministry shelved a competition for an F-16 EW suite and instructed Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI) to supply a system through an overseas supplier.
HAI subsequently signed a deal with Elisra, which makes EW systems for Israeli air force F-16s.
US authorities had blocked a deal after expressing concern that use of an Israeli system would hamper interoperability between Greek aircraft and the rest of NATO. This concern was answered late last year, and Elisra was ready to finalise the deal, worth around $160 million (Flight International, 27 November - 3 December 2001).
Israeli defence sources say that, as Elisra received approval to proceed with negotiations, the USA again tried to foil the deal because of the precedent it would create.
Source: Flight International
