Greece to order fourth Belharra class frigate from France
During the visit of French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecorne to Athens, Greece, on 14 April, where he met with his counterpart Nikos Dendias, the parties discussed the implementation of existing contracts. For example, the supply of Belharra frigates, Rafale fighter jets, NH90 helicopters and Exocet missiles.
Here's What We Know
The contract for the first three ships was signed in March 2022, and all the vessels are being built at the Naval Group shipyard in Loriana with the active participation of Greek companies, including Salamis Shipyards.
The first three are already ready for use in one way or another: HS Kimon is being refitted in France in the Standard-2 version, HS Nearchos is undergoing integration, and HS Formion is due to be launched on 4 June 2025. All three frigates should be ready by 2026, with the fourth to join the fleet by 2028.
The Belharra class is a new generation of state-of-the-art frigates with multi-level air defence capabilities and a high degree of automation. They are 122 metres long, have a displacement of 4,500 tonnes, a speed of up to 27 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles. Armaments include 32 Sylver A50 vertical launchers for Aster 30 missiles, a RAM Block 2B launcher, Exocet MM40 Block 3C missiles, MU90 torpedoes and a 76 mm main gun.
The Greek version of HS Themistocles. Illustration: Міноборони Греції
The frigates are equipped with advanced sensors, including Sea Fire radar, Kingklip and CAPTAS-4 sonars, and the PSIM panoramic reconnaissance module. Each vessel is capable of carrying an MH-60R helicopter or a Camcopter S-100 UAV.
A separate element that distinguishes Greek frigates from French ones is the full equipment with weapons and sensors at the construction stage, while French vessels such as the Amiral Ronarc'h are delivered with limited configurations. In Greece, this approach is explained by the desire to ensure maximum combat readiness in the face of high regional tensions, primarily in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is expected that the fourth frigate, HS Themistocles, may receive even more advanced capabilities: Sylver A70 launchers, which allow the use of MdCN cruise missiles with a range of over 1,000 km.
Source: Army Recognition
