The Hellenic Ministry of National Defence has taken a further step concerning the support of the Hellenic Air Force’s ERIEYE/EMB-145H Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) fleet, with the signing of the third amendment to the original procurement contract dating back to 1999. On 16 July 2026, the General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) signed the Third Amendment to Contract 022A/99 with SAAB Microwave Systems AB. According to the official GDDIA announcement, Contract 022A/99 concerns the procurement of the ERIEYE/EMB-145H AEW&C system. The amendment was signed by GDDIA Director General Major General Ioannis Bouras. The significance of the latest development becomes clearer when viewed against the long history of the program and the efforts to maintain the operational availability of Greece’s four AEW&C aircraft.

Contract 022A/99 formed the contractual basis for Greece’s acquisition of four ERIEYE/EMB-145H airborne early warning and control systems, together with associated equipment, spare parts and services. The aircraft have subsequently become an important component of Greece’s airborne surveillance and command-and-control capability. In official parliamentary responses, the Ministry of National Defence has underlined the importance of the AEW&C aircraft in supporting air-defence functions as well as Hellenic Air Force and joint operations. A particularly important aspect of the original contract concerns a financial balance that remained available following the procurement.

According to official information provided by the Ministry of National Defence to the Hellenic Parliament, an amount of $5,344,300.18 remained associated with Contract 022A/99. Half of this amount had already been paid by the Greek State as an advance during 1999–2000. The Ministry had stated that the amount was being addressed within negotiations concerning the Third Amendment to Contract 022A/99, with the objective of using the remaining contractual credit for requirements related to the aircraft. The process proved exceptionally lengthy, with discussions concerning the third amendment extending over several years before its eventual signature in July 2026.

Importantly, the Third Amendment to Contract 022A/99 should not automatically be interpreted as a comprehensive modernization of Greece’s ERIEYE fleet. Official Ministry documents show that the broader support requirements for the four aircraft have been handled through separate procurement activities.

On 2 February 2021, GDDIA launched Tender 01/21 for the Follow-on Support of the AEW&C Aircraft Mission System and Associated Equipment. However, the procedure was cancelled on 18 August 2021 after no economic operator submitted a bid. The Hellenic Air Force subsequently revised the relevant Armed Forces Specification and proposed negotiations directly with the Original Equipment Manufacturer without publication of a new tender. The revised specification, designated PED-B-10089, was forwarded to GDDIA on 30 May 2022. At the same time, separate procurement procedures were initiated for follow-on support of the EMB-145H aircraft themselves and their engines, demonstrating that the airframe, propulsion system and ERIEYE mission system were being addressed through distinct support arrangements.

The signature of the Third Amendment therefore represents the resolution of a contractual issue originating from the original ERIEYE procurement program more than two decades ago. Nevertheless, the precise scope of the amendment signed on 16 July 2026 remains important. The official GDDIA announcement does not disclose a detailed list of equipment or spare parts, a new contract value, or state that the agreement constitutes an upgrade or modernization of the ERIEYE mission system. Consequently, based strictly on information released by the Greek authorities, the July 2026 agreement should be described as the Third Amendment to the original 022A/99 ERIEYE/EMB-145H procurement contract, rather than as a comprehensive modernization program for the Hellenic Air Force’s four AEW&C aircraft.

Sources: Hellenic Ministry of National Defence (HMOD); General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA); Official HMOD responses to the Hellenic Parliament.