Defense Minister Dendias inaugurates second Belharra frigate
Nikos Dendias visited the Naval Group shipyards in Lorient, France on Thursday for the launching ceremony of the second FDI Belharra frigate, F-602 Nearchos. He also inspected the first frigate, F-601 Kimon, which is nearly complete and expected to begin trials soon.
“At the launching ceremony of the Nearchos, the second FDI HN frigate of the Hellenic Navy, at the Lorient Shipyards,” Dendias said in a post on X social media platform.
“A frigate that, like the Kimon, incorporates the most advanced technologies to decisively contribute to the protection of national sovereignty and our sovereign rights,” he added.
Dendias was also expected to announce the initiation of the procurement process for a fourth Belharra frigate from France.
A source told Kathimerini that the political and military leadership of the Ministry of National Defense decided to acquire an additional FDI frigate to further enhance the deterrent capabilities of the Greek fleet and improve cost-effectiveness.
Since signing the agreement to acquire the first three FDI frigates in March 2021, Athens has retained the option to order one more Belharra at the same price as the previous ones, approximately 1 billion euros.
Although the deadline officially expired in June 2023, close relations between Athens and Paris, along with the Greek Navy’s expressed intention to acquire the fourth FDI, allowed the option to be exercised almost a year later.
According to Naval Group sources, work on the fourth frigate is expected to begin in the coming months, though its position in the production line and delivery date to the Hellenic Navy remain unclear.
Στην τελετή καθέλκυσης του «Νέαρχου», της δεύτερης Φρεγάτας FDI HN του Πολεμικού Ναυτικού», στα Ναυπηγεία της #Lorient.
Μιας Φρεγάτας, που όπως και ο «Κίμων», ενσωματώνει τις πιο σύγχρονες τεχνολογίες, ώστε να συμβάλλει αποφασιστικά στην προστασία της εθνικής κυριαρχίας και των… pic.twitter.com/qPiL81N4w9
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) September 19, 2024
