Greece will begin negotiations for the procurement of a fourth Belharra-type frigate, in addition to the three built by France’s Naval Group, National Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced during the launch of the second such frigate in France on Thursday.
During the launch of the second of three Belharra-type frigates at the shipyards in Laurient (‘Nearchos’), Dendias added that Greece will also initiate a program to upgrade a series of Hellenic Navy ships. The Nearchos is the second frigate to be launched after ‘Kimon’, and will be followed by the construction of ‘Formion’.
Specifically, Dendias anounced that the four Belharra-type frigates, the programs to upgrade the multi-purpose combination (MEKO) frigates, the Roussen attack missile boats, and the submarines that will begin shortly in Greece, will help create an unassailable missile surface wall in the Aegean Sea. This will be achieved also with the procurement of four Island-class patrol boats (to be incorporated shortly), the future participation of Greece in the design and launching of the new Constellation-class frigate, and Greece’s participation in the European corvette program. The government also hopes to expand number of Greek companies contributing to frigate construction rising from the current 12% to 15%, he added.
Stronger presence
The launch of ‘Nearchos’ is another significant step for the Hellenic Navy and the Greek Armed Forces, as well as a step further for the implementation of ‘Agenda 2030’, Dendias noted. It also confirms the strong commitment of the Mitsotakis government to strengthening national defense and promoting conditions of security and prosperity of the Greek people.
“We are strengthening our presence in the East Mediterranean, protecting the borders and interests of the European Union at the same time, never questioning the legal rights of other regional countries, and always observing International Law rules and the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ,” he underlined.
Speaking of Greek-French relations, the defense minister said they had a long past and were very close, with common values and goals – especially in defense and security – as confirmed by the defense pact they signed that calls for help between them in case of an external threat. Dendias had signed the treaty on September 28, 2021.
Among other issues, the Greek minister also spoke of extending collaboration with French companies in the long term, especially Naval Group, and of opening the Greek defense industry to global defense initiatives. One such initiative, Dendias said, is the preparation of the first Greece-France Innovation Symposium, with the help of the recently founded Hellenic Innovation Center.
The minister was accompanied by the chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Dimitrios Houpis, and Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras, chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff.
Frigate specs
The “Nearchos” frigate has a displacement of 4,500 tons, a length of approximately 122 meters, a maximum speed of 27 knots, a crew of 120 people and incorporates advanced digital technologies.
These include, among others, the integrated sensor network PSIM (Panoramic Sensor Intelligence Module), where almost all of the warship’s sensor systems are gathered, the advanced anti-submarine warfare sonar, type CAPTAS-4 and the full digital Sea Fire radar.
