Greece celebrated a historic day for its naval forces on Thursday with the arrival of the first Belharra-class frigate, Kimon. The ceremony highlighted the strategic and symbolic importance of the vessel, which joins the Hellenic Navy’s growing fleet of advanced warships.
The frigate was officially named and raised the Greek flag in Lorient, France, on December 18, 2025, in a ceremony attended by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias. Since then, Kimon, with a crew of 128, sailed to Brest to take on its armaments and conduct the first integrated systems test under real conditions, before continuing its journey to Greece.
Upon reaching the waters near Aegina, Kimon was welcomed by other Greek Navy ships, including the historic battleship Averof and the trireme Olympias. Defense Minister Dendias boarded the ship via helicopter to witness its arrival, followed by President Konstantinos Tasoulas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
President Tasoulas described Kimon as “a national achievement” and praised its unmatched technological and strategic capabilities. He emphasized that the frigate enhances Greece’s deterrent power and strengthens the country’s sovereignty and security in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Prime Minister Mitsotakis highlighted the frigate’s role in modernizing Greece’s armed forces and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to leaving the nation more secure than it was received. He also noted that three additional Belharra-class frigates are expected to join the navy within the next 18 months.
Defense Minister Dendias called Kimon “the most powerful frigate on the planet,” capable of surface, anti-air, anti-submarine, and electronic warfare operations. The frigate is equipped with state-of-the-art systems including Sea Fire radars, Aster-30 missiles, Exocet MM40 Block 3C missiles, MU90 torpedoes, RAM missiles, a 76mm Oto Melara gun, and remote-controlled 20mm Lionfish guns.
The ceremony also celebrated Greece’s naval heritage, as Kimon passed between the historic battleship Averof, a symbol of 20th-century Greek naval power, and the trireme Olympias, a faithful reconstruction of the ancient Athenian warship. The two historic vessels emphasized the continuity of Greece’s maritime defense from past to present.
With the arrival of Kimon, the Hellenic Navy enters a new era of operational capability, combining cutting-edge technology with Greece’s proud naval tradition.
