The surprise announcement came shortly after a letter from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, approving the allocation of four (4) Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to Greece as part of a comprehensive equipment package. The ambitious plan involves the construction of up to seven (7) state-of-the-art Constellation-class (FFG-62) frigates in Greece for the Hellenic Navy (HN).
“We are actively engaged in discussions with the USA for the joint design and production of Constellation-class frigates. The US Navy has already acknowledged our interest with a letter of acceptance received on January 16, 2024, paving the way for the design and co-production of up to seven frigates in Greek shipyards.“
Greek Minister of Defence Nikolaos Dendias
The Minister added that “If there is an agreement, Greece could participate in this program right from the beginning, namely from its design phase, according to the needs of the Hellenic Navy. This would represent a significant leap forward for our fleet and the Greek shipbuilding industry.“
Persistent rumors circulated over the past few years indicating Greece’s keen interest in acquiring Constellation-class frigates toward the end of the decade and beyond, with speculation suggesting a potential connection to the acquisition of LCS/MMSC. Additionally, Naval News obtained information from an undisclosed source familiar with the matter, revealing that the US Navy has presented the class to the HN some time ago. The design, unfortunately, was not promptly available to enhance the Greek Fleet. The only immediate option from the American side was the MMSC. Nevertheless, conversations have revolved around the modifications or additions that the Greek side desires, such as enhancements to the sonar suite, adjustments to the gun armament on board and other equipment.
A smaller frigate design?
Another anonymous source clarified to Naval News that Greece, while not constructing exact replicas of the Constellation-class frigates, is planning to build a scaled-down version. This ‘Europeanized’ iteration of the FFG-62 is expected to feature fewer weapons and a smaller size, outlining a distinct approach to the naval project. This translates to a frigate with approximately 5,000 tons displacement, a length nearing around 140 meters, equipped with a 76mm or 127mm gun, four 8-cell Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) for AAW capability, eight SSM, RAM CIWS, torpedo launchers and a comprehensive sonar suite encompassing Hull-Mounted Sonar (HMS) and Variable Depth Sonar (VDS). This naturally raises the question of whether the hull will be that of the Italian FREMM, the same design upon which the American variant was based.
Another possibility is that the frigate would be a variant of the new Gibbs & Cox “light frigate” design which the American company successfully sold to Taiwan (in two configurations: Air Defense and Anti-Submarine Warfare) and is currently pitching to Australia. This design shares some design features from the Constellation-class as Gibbs & Cox is also involved in the design of the future frigate of the US Navy.
The expenses associated with acquiring, equipping, manning, and maintaining seven Constellation-class frigates would be substantial for a country like Greece. Consequently, Naval News reasonably asserts that, if constructed, the new ships would likely be a modified variant of the Constellation-class, rather than identical replicas.
The concept of a “smaller Constellation frigate” is in line with the speech, delivered by the (now former) Chief of the Navy Admiral Ioannis Drymousis, during the change of command ceremony: “The three new Kimon-class frigates and the four upgraded Hydra-class frigates, upon their integration into our fleet, are not enough to face the threat. Therefore, a proposal for the short-term renewal (!) of the fleet was drafted and presented at the highest levels of political leadership. The proposal focuses on one hand, replacing the aging Elli-class frigates with new multi-role air defense frigates, armed with significant firepower for all forms of warfare, to be constructed in Greece. This ensures subsequent support that is both feasible and economically advantageous. On the other hand, the proposal involves acquiring, after inspection by the Hellenic Navy, suitable smaller used naval units.” The new multi-role air defence frigates are the “Greek” FFG-62 and the smaller used naval units are the Freedom-class LCS.
Then, after 2030, upon successful implementation of the plan, Greece would have at least 18 units composed of Kimon-class, Hydra-class, Freedom-class and Constellation-class plus a number of EPC. Note that Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) serves as the designer for the Constellation, a modified design rooted in the FREMM architecture, jointly created by Naval Group and Fincantieri. Fincantieri, in collaboration with Onex Shipyards & Technologies Group, has formalized an agreement for establishing a manufacturing line for corvettes and a corresponding life-cycle support base. This facility is slated to be located at Onex Naval and Maritime Elefsis Shipyards. As a result, Elefsis Shipyards emerge as a formidable candidate for the production of the new frigates, pending agreement.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that statements and intentions expressed by Greek politicians and government representatives regarding the acquisition of various types of warships as part of ambitious plans during the last decades have often not materialized, as seen in the cases of six MEKO 200 (only four acquired), six FREMM (cancelled), four new frigates (three FDI acquired), and four new corvettes to be built locally (still pending, leaning towards cancellation).