Israel offers to share F-35 experience with Greece

Israel has offered to share its operational experience with F-35 fighter jets with Greece, according to reporting by Kathimerini, as defence cooperation between the two countries continues to deepen.

The offer was outlined by Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, the Israel Defense Forces’ international spokesperson, who said Israel has accumulated extensive hands-on experience with the F-35 through sustained operational use and is prepared to pass on practical lessons to Greek counterparts. The emphasis, he said, is on operational know-how rather than procurement or platform transfer.

The move comes as Greece advances its own F-35 programme. Athens has ordered 20 aircraft, with deliveries expected later in the decade, and has expanded joint air force training with Israel. Israeli participation in exercises hosted by Greece is also expected to continue, allowing operational familiarity to develop ahead of full fleet induction.

The timing also intersects with Türkiye’s unresolved F-35 file. Ankara was removed from the programme in 2019 following its acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defence system, halting aircraft deliveries and industrial participation. Since then, Türkiye has remained outside the F-35 ecosystem while pursuing alternative paths to modernise its air force.

For Türkiye, the significance is political as much as military. Relations with Israel have long been marked by recurring diplomatic tensions and strategic distrust, shaping Ankara’s assessment of Israel’s regional defence partnerships. Greece is also the only NATO member with which Türkiye has long-running disputes over sovereignty, airspace, maritime boundaries, and force balance. In that context, the transfer of combat-tested operational practices is not a neutral technical exchange. It enhances Greece’s operational readiness in a theatre where Türkiye already faces an active balance-of-power contest.