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Greece has finalized an agreement to acquire two FREMM-class frigates from Italy, with the Bergamini-class warships expected to be transferred to the Hellenic Navy in the first half of 2028 and 2029.

The agreement is expected to be signed Sept. 8 in Rome in the presence of Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and the naval chiefs of the two countries.

The implementing agreement will be signed by Greece’s General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments and its Italian counterpart. It follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Letter of Intent on the acquisition of the Italian FREMM frigates, signed by Dendias and Crosetto on Sept. 29, 2025, in La Spezia, Italy.

The implementing agreement will finalize the legal, financial and technical terms for the purchase of the first two Bergamini-class FREMM frigates.

When the frigates will join the Greek fleet

The agreement sets the value of the two ships in their current condition and establishes the timetable for their transfer and integration into the Hellenic Navy.

The Carlo Bergamini (F-590) is scheduled to be sold and transferred during the first half of 2028, while the Virginio Fasan (F-591) is scheduled for sale and transfer during the first half of 2029.

The agreement also provides for initial and subsequent support to ensure the operational availability of the two warships.

Greek shipyards to participate

The deal includes domestic industrial participation, with Greek shipyards expected to be involved in maintenance work and the integration of new systems onto the ships.

The acquisition of the two former Italian FREMM frigates also leaves open the possibility of acquiring additional vessels in the future.

Together with Greece’s four FDI-class frigates and the modernization of its MEKO-class frigates, the new ships are intended to strengthen the Hellenic Navy’s high-capability strike units.

According to the Greek Defense Ministry, the fleet is intended to safeguard Greece’s sovereignty and sovereign rights in the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean.