The keel was laid for the first block of the third defence and intervention frigate (FDI) for the Hellenic Navy at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient on 15 April 2024, the French company announced on 23 April.
The construction of the frigate, to be called Formion, is being conducted in collaboration with Greek industry. In February Salamis Shipyards delivered several pre-outfitted hull blocks that were built in Greece through a comprehensive transfer of technology provided by Naval Group. These blocks are now in the process of being assembled in Lorient with the other blocks that will make up Formion.
The Hellenic Navy’s first FDI, Kimon, was launched in October 2023 and had its Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM) installed in November. Harbour trials began in early March with the powering up of the ship’s electrical distribution system. The combat management system (CMS) of Kimon had been powered up by the end of March, with the latest version featuring many capabilities specific to the Hellenic Navy. The ship’s first two A-50 Sylver vertical launch systems for Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) were installed in early April.
The second half of 2024 will focus on further important milestones for the Hellenic FDI fleet, with Kimon going to sea for the first time and the launching of second-in-class Nearchos.
The PSIM for Nearchos has been transferred to its shore testing area for a five-month test period, during which setting-to-work for many of its systems will be performed. The PSIM will then be installed on board Nearchos a few days after the frigate is launched.
The PSIM for Formion, meanwhile, is at the pre-outfitting stage, with cabling and outfitting of equipment to begin soon. The last hull block for Formion is currently under construction in Salamis Shipyards and will be delivered in July.
The Hellenic Navy’s three FDIs are due to be delivered in 2025 and 2026.
Naval Group’s FDI (Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention) is a 4,500-ton multi-purpose frigate design with “high-level capabilities in all naval combat domains: anti-ship, anti-air, anti-submarine and special forces projection, with unique capabilities against asymmetric threats”, according to Naval Group.
The ship is propelled by a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) arrangement, delivering a top speed of 50 km/h and a range of 9,300 km at 28 km/h, and is armed with Exocet MM40 B3C surface-to-surface missiles, RAM and Aster SAMs, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes and a 76 mm Super Rapid gun. The FDI can also carry a medium-sized helicopter plus a number of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Naval Group is also producing five FDI for the French Navy, the first of which, Amiral Ronarc’h, was launched in November 2022 and is due to be commissioned this year.
