U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Athens for a visit that goes well beyond diplomatic formality. Greece ...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Athens for a visit that goes well beyond diplomatic formality. Greece has put together a substantial weapons request ahead of the 6th U.S.-Greece Strategic Dialogue, and defense hardware is expected to dominate the agenda. According to Skai, Greece's top military ask involves advanced air-to-air missiles for its upgraded F-16 Viper fleet and future F-35s. Specifically, Athens will push for the release of AIM-9X Block 2 infrared missiles and the long-range AIM-120 Delta, an AMRAAM successor with capabilities comparable to the Meteor. Greece is also requesting the AGM-88E anti-radar missile, which U.S. officials describe as a direct countermeasure to Russian S-400 systems. On the aircraft side, Greece wants to upgrade 38 additional F-16 Block 50 jets to the Viper standard, which would bring its total to roughly 120 upgraded fighters. That would give the Hellenic Air Force a significant combat edge. For ground forces, Athens is also seeking Stryker armored vehicles, ideally at minimal or zero cost. Rubio called Greece a "very important ally" before boarding his flight, describing it as a country where the U.S. maintains both military presence and strong economic ties. His schedule includes a Wednesday evening meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximos Mansion, followed by a private dinner with around 30 officials from both sides. A speech at the Pnyx Hill, described by sources as "historic," is also planned. Rubio is expected to outline Trump's Mediterranean strategy and Greece's role in it, referring to the country as an "oasis in the region." Energy will also feature heavily. The talks are expected to reaffirm U.S. support for the Vertical Corridor gas route into Europe, and will cover the Greece-Cyprus-Israel energy cooperation, along with partnerships involving Chevron and ExxonMobil. Turkish claims in the Aegean and over Cyprus are also on the agenda for Rubio's meetings with Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis. #Greece #USGreece #StrategicDialogue