Greece’s Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, is in France today, Wednesday, June 4, accompanied by the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (GEETHA), General Dimitrios Choupis, and the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff (GEN), Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras, for the launching ceremony of the 4,500 ton FDI HN (Belharra) frigate Phormion.
The open-sea warship is the third FDI HN frigate—commonly known as Belharra—being constructed by Naval Group for the Hellenic Navy.
Greece is keen on the vessel for its resilience and advanced capabilities across all domains of naval warfare: anti-ship, anti-air, anti-submarine, and special forces projection, with unique capacities for responding to asymmetric threats. The frigate is equipped with a range of technological innovations by Thales, including radar, sonar, and electronic warfare systems.
Sections of the Phormion were built at the Salamina shipyards in Greece and shipped on February 5 to the Naval Group’s shipyard in Lorient, France. There, they were assembled for the next phases of the frigate’s construction.
The collaboration is significant for Greece as Greek companies are being integrated into Naval Group’s supply chain and thus have the opportunity to participate in other programs and future international tenders- a win for Greece’s military-industrial complex.
