Il governo greco approva l’acquisto di quarta difesa francese e fregata di intervento

>In 2021, Greece notified the order for three “Belh@rra” defense and intervention frigates [FDI] from the French Naval Group for approximately 3 billion euros, this sum taking into account the maintenance in operational condition [MCO] for three years as well as the delivery of MU-90 torpedoes, Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles and Exocet anti-ship missiles. An option for a fourth unit had been placed.

>Three years later, as the first FDI for the Hellenic Navy – the HS Kimon – was preparing to begin its sea trials and the second, the HS Nearchos, had just been launched in Lorient, the Greek Minister of Defence, Nikos Dendias, announced that negotiations were about to begin with a view to acquiring a fourth unit.

>”I am pleased to announce today that Greece intends to begin negotiations to acquire an additional frigate, the fourth of the same type,” he declared on September 24, 2024.

>Last April, during a visit to Athens by Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Mr. Dendias specified that this fourth FDI would have the capacity to deploy “strategic weapons”, in this case naval cruise missiles [MdCN], thanks to the integration of Sylver A70 launchers.

>As a reminder, the Greek FDI will not have exactly the same capabilities as those intended for the French Navy.

>While the two models will have certain elements in common, such as the 76 mm turret, the two remotely operated 20 mm cannons, the two Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-ship missile launchers, the Seafire 500 radar and the Kingklip Mark II and CAPTAS 4 sonars, the Greek FDI will be equipped with 32 Aster 30 B1 surface-to-air missiles [instead of 16], 2 triple torpedo launchers for MU-90 [instead of a double torpedo launcher], a RAM [Rolling Airframe Missile] short-range anti-aircraft system as well as anti-missile and anti-torpedo jammers and decoys.

>In any case, the contract negotiations were apparently swift, as on September 17, the purchase of this fourth FDI was approved at a Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defense chaired by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek Prime Minister.

>”The bill for the acquisition of the fourth Belharra-class frigate, which will be called ‘HS Themistocle’, is ready. It will be presented to Parliament today,” Mr. Dendias announced at the end of the meeting.

>The future HS Themistocles “will have increased capabilities” compared to the three FDIs already ordered, the minister stressed. “One of these will be to launch ballistic missiles currently being developed as part of the ELSA [European Long-Range Strike Approach] program, launched by France, Poland, Italy, and Germany in 2024 and later joined by the United Kingdom and Sweden.

>The first three Greek FDI will also need this capability, said Mr. Dendias, who is expected to finalize the order for the HS Themistocles when the HS Kimon is officially handed over to the Hellenic Navy towards the end of this year.

waste of money