Greece’s decision to acquire a fourth Belh@rra frigate from France’s Naval Group for the Hellenic Navy, with all but an official signing ceremony at the Lorient shipyards pending, has now shifted attention to the remaining surface vessel fleet.
Defense Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to arrive at the Naval Group shipyards on the Brittany coast on Wednesday, while he briefed members relevant parliament committee on defense matters on Tuesday. A decision by members of a top government council to approve of the purchase is also considered as assured.
The acquisition of a fourth state-of-the-art frigate by Naval Group, all comprising the Kimon-class, named for the first such warship constructed and expected to be commissioned by the Hellenic Navy this year, has now shifted attention to the remaining surface vessel fleet.
The prospect of acquiring two used Carlo Bergamini-class frigates from Italy and the modernization of the four MEKO-class warships in the Greek fleet remains an economical solution.
The latter vessels have already been equipped with the Centaur anti-drone system, with the navy proposing that it assume the necessary upgrades, such as new electronics and sensos, along with new radar and fire control systems.
One scenario peddled in the corridors of Greece’s defense ministry entails a modernization of two of the four MEKO-class frigates and the retiring of the other two.
At the same time, the prospect of acquiring two used Italian warships, the F-590 Carlo Bergamini and the F-591 Virginio Fasan, has been discussed at a top political level.
According to reports in “Ta Nea” this week, the entire process depends on when the Marina Militare will receive two new frigates to transfer the used ones to Greece. According to the same reports, the Greek side will have an option to purchase the remaining two Bergamini-class frigates in the Italian Navy.
“Ta Nea” also reports that Athens wants to conclude the modernization of the MEKO-class warships and the potential acquisition of the Italian ships by 2028, at the latest by 2029.
Four new Belh@rra frigates, two or four used (less than 15 years of service) Italian frigates, along with two or four upgraded and modernized MEKOs will mean eight to 12 such “blue water” surface ships in the Hellenic Navy.
After that, as a matter of good fortune, as in Greece, unfortunately, many things do not always go as we want, the procedures for the launch of Constellation frigates will begin. The aim is to acquire between 4 and 7 frigates of the class in order to withdraw the MEKOs and those of the Elli class frigates that are left active.
Greece’s ambitious but at times vague naval defense procurement program is caused, in part, by neighboring Turkey’s large-scale naval buildup and Ankara’s pivot towards its so-called “Blue Homeland” doctrine, which Athens considers as revisionist, irredentist and jingoist.
At the “end of the tunnel” is the possibility of purchasing four to seven US-designed Constellation class multi-mission guided-missile frigates, at which time the MEKO frigates and the other Elli-class frigates will be withdrawn.
