Greece Receives First Advanced Frigate from France, Signaling “New Era” for Navy
Lorient, The Gulf Observer: Greece has taken delivery of the first of four advanced frigates from France, marking the start of a “new era” for the Hellenic Navy, Greek officials stated.
The handover ceremony for the F601 Kimon took place on Thursday at the western port city of Lorient, attended by Greece’s Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, according to media reports.
“We are witnessing proof of the strategic relationship between Greece and France that also bears my signature,” Dendias said. “It is not just the delivery of an exceptional ship, but the entry of the Armed Forces and the Navy into a new era.” He also thanked the French government, describing bilateral relations as “very warm.”
Greece agreed to purchase three Kimon-class vessels in September 2021 as part of a €3 billion defence package, with an option for a fourth vessel approved by parliament in the summer and formally agreed with Paris in November.
During the ceremony, the Greek flag was raised on the new frigate, which will be fully integrated into the Greek Navy and operational in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean by early 2026. The vessel will first sail to Brest for the installation of weapons systems, including Exocet Block III anti-ship missiles and Aster 30 air-defence missiles, before deployment to the Salamina Naval Base near Athens.
Commenting on Greece’s broader defence procurement programme from Brussels, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the handover as “a moment that should make all Greeks proud.” He added, “I am at the European Council today but I believe that the heart of Greece beats a few kilometres from here, at the Lorient shipyard, where the Greek flag will be raised on the first of the four Belharra frigates.”
