Just three days before the first sea trials of the first FDI for the French Navy, Amiral Ronar’ch (D660), and the last day of the Euronaval Press Tour organized by GICAN , Naval News had the opportunity to board the first of three Greek FDI-type frigates under-construction, Kimon (F601), which is in the final stages of completion at Naval Group’s shipard in Lorient, France. The acquisition of the new FDI HN frigates will mark a milestone as after about three decades, since the four Hydra-class (MEKO 200HN) frigates entered service, Greece will finally acquire modern main surface units.
The leadership of the Hellenic Navy, as well as the government, is highly satisfied with the program. This was reflected in a recent announcement by Greek Minister of Defence Nikos Dendias, about a month ago, expressing the intention to purchase a fourth FDI HN frigate—fulfilling the Hellenic Navy’s recommendation. The FDI HN will be one of the most powerful surface combatants for its size and one of the most sophisticated designs, worldwide. Bringing together the best of naval technologies on a compact platform, the 4,550-ton FDI HN will be a powerful, multipurpose and innovative frigate with the highest degrees of automation and control, designed to meet the evolution of threats.
We emphasize here that photographing the interior of the ship was strictly prohibited, so the photos we will share here are exclusively of the ship’s exterior. Furthermore, not all the equipment has been fully installed. Externally, one could admire the frigate’s elegant design, stealth features, and the integrated mast—known as the Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM) – which houses nearly all of the ship’s sensor systems supporting all the range of modern naval operations. The inverted bow, a distinctive feature of the vessel, further enhances its unique character. Internally, the spacious accommodations for the 122 crew members (including the flight detachment), along with the various hatches concealing equipment to minimize the ship’s signature, and the extensive digitalization throughout, inspire admiration.
Entry onto the frigate was made via the helipad, where one could immediately notice, even if they had never boarded a Greek warship but had experience with foreign vessels of a similar era and technology, the spaciousness as well as the advanced technology used in the construction of the ship. This was evident from the use of low observable (stealth) technology, the presence of two separate doors—one large for the 11-ton MH60R helicopter and one smaller for the UAS—as well as the securing and traversing system which was about to be fitted. Note, that the Hellenic Navy will acquire four complete Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 systems, each with two UAVs. The separate doors will enable the UAVs and helicopters to be operated independently, eliminating the need to move the helicopter out of the hangar to deploy the UAVs, thus saving valuable time.
We also learned that day that the four SYLENA Mk1 decoy launching systems from Lacroix were already delivered to the shipyard and were set to be fitted aboard the ship very soon. Similarly, the ship has received the two additional SYLVER A50 VLS. The 21-tube RAM CIWS is also in the process of being fitted and will be integrated later on according to the contract. Compared to the French FDIs, Hellenic Navy frigates are getting reinforced helicopter hangar roofs to support the American weapon system. According to the signed contract, the SYLENA, RAM, and the additional two A50s are set to be installed and integrated with the SETIS CMS by 2027 for the first two ships (upgrade from Standard 1 to Standard 2 configuration) and only the third one Formion would have been delivered in full configuration (Standard 2) in 2026.
We had the opportunity to explore various areas of the ship, including the bridge and the dedicated asymmetric warfare CIC, situated in a room directly behind the navigation bridge. This assymetric warfare CIC is designed to provide inner-layer protection and is equipped with TV and infrared surveillance systems located in three positions on the mast, allowing operators to utilize the LIONFISH 20 of Leonardo RWS (NARWHAL of Nexter on French FDIs) and the non-lethal effectors. This suite is being introduced for the first time on a platform of the French Navy. The pontoon on the starboard side near the bridge appears to be without any planned equipment, leaving space for a potential third RWS or even a system like the Mistral SIMBAD-RC SAM launcher of MBDA to enhance anti-aircraft protection. Τhe entry into service of the Kimon in 2025 will mark the beginning of a new era for Greece’s naval capabilities as several characteristics of the new frigate are introduced for the first time in the HN.
From the forward deck, we admired the high-tech 42m high integrated steel PSIM mast, which houses most of the onboard sensors, including the two PASEO XLR extra long-range naval optronic identification and fire control systems from Safran (The PASEO XLR truly impressed everyone during the exhibition of its capabilities; it was even possible to see fine details of objects located at great distances!), the AESA panels of the SEAFIRE multi-function radar from Thales, and various components of the ship’s electronic warfare (EW) suite, such as the ALTESSE-H C-ESM & COMINT and SENTINEL R-ESM systems. It also features the BLUEGATE IFF system from Thales with its fixed flat-panel antennas placed above the SEAFIRE’s panels, navigation and surveillance radars from Wärtsilä and Terma, and multiple communication antennas from Alseamar. Additionally, we learned that above the bridge on the starboard side, one of the two jammers for the R-ECM system will be installed and the work is in progress. The second jamming syb-system will be at the rear, above the hangar and next to the helicopter approach radar. This will be the VIRGILIUS (sub) system from the Italian manufacturer Elt Group that equips PPAs and will equip FREMM EVO, as previously reported, integrated with Thales software into the ship’s EW suite.
The PSIM also hosts the CIC and one of the two datacenters present aboard the ship. We could enter the CIC. The 15 consoles were not yet fully installed and operational. Each consoles consist in two large touch screens and a third additional screen (placed horizontally) acting as keyboard. The PSIM, which is built separately from the hull of the ship and fitted after launch, spreads across several decks:
- Deck 5: SeaFire radar arrays (if needed, the crew can access this area to perform maintenance work on the radar system)
- Deck 4: Datacenter
- Deck 3: Planning and briefing room
- Deck 2: CIC
During the Euronaval press tour, Naval News learned that Exail provides three important systems aboard the FDI, relating to navigation:
- Marins M7 Inertial Navigation System (INS): ensuring precise and reliable navigation, even in GNSS-denied environments.
- Secure Data Distribution Unit (DDU): safeguarding critical navigation data and providing real-time synchronization across all ship systems.
- Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) navigation software: enhancing tactical planning and navigation with high-level accuracy.
Now, regarding the latest news about the FDI HN program, that Greece will fit a number of those frigates with the Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN) also known as naval cruise missiles (NCM) and SCALP NAVAL, a strategic weapon with a range of over 1,000km, we could not gather additional information on this topic. The announcement by the Minister seemed to catch everyone by surprise. MBDA officials confirmed what we already knew: only the SYLVER A70 can launch this specific missile. Currently, it is the sole weapon capable of such launches, and modifications are required for the frigates to fire the ASTER SAM, which entail additional costs. Given this situation, it remains unclear how Greece will approach the modifications for the other ships. As Kimon is already equipped with four A50 VLS modules for ASTER 30 Block 1 SAM, it is uncertain whether the two (or three with the option) remaining vessels will have two or three A50 modules each, with the remainder consisting of A70s.
Xavier Vavasseur contributed to this article
