The frigate Kimon, Greece’s first Belharra-class frigate, docked at the port of Piraeus on Friday, marking its formal entry into the Hellenic Navy fleet. The warship had been received at the nearby Salamina naval anchorage at the beginning of the year and even lodged its first patrol in the east Mediterranean after the latest Mideast conflict flared up.

According to reports, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to tour the vessel on Saturday. The latter’s visit to Greece comes in the context of renewing a 2021 Greece–France defense pact.

Greece officially received the Kimon from manufacturer Naval Group in January with full honors, the first time in 28 years that such a warship was added to the Greek fleet.

As the first Belharra-type (FDI) frigate in the Greek navy’s service, the Kimon is seen as a milestone in strengthening the country’s deterrence capabilities in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean.

Its first operational deployment took place near Cyprus following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, amid reported drone threats targeting British sovereign bases on the island.