Greece Commits to 4th FDI Frigate Procurement

The Greek government tonight moved forward with the decision to procure a fourth FDI frigate for the Hellenic Navy, which will be named Themistocles, with all four FDI HN frigates slated for upgrades to the Standard 2++ configuration. The Hellenic Parliament now has to vote to approve this decision. This formality is expected to take place next week.

The Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, participated today, Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in the meeting of the Government Council for National Security (KYSEA), under the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. After the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Dendias, stated regarding the issues discussed that concern the Ministry of National Defense:

…in KYSEA, the presentation of the 4th Frigate, Themistocles (note: a name currently borne by a non-modernized Elli class frigate), took place. The legislative bill is already ready and will be submitted today to the Hellenic Parliament. Themistocles, I want to explain, is not simply a 4th Frigate. The main type of frigate, as agreed in 2020, was Belharra Standard 2. Themistocles is Belharra Standard 2++. It has 1 + 10 enhanced capabilities. The first is the ballistic missiles, the new type from the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA) program, which is currently in the development stage. In addition, within the same framework, the previous three Frigates will also be upgraded to the ultimate Standard 2++ level.

Greece’s Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias

According to the Ministry of Defense statement, the order was submitted today to Parliament’s defense procurement committee for approval. Once endorsed, it will be ratified by the plenary session the following week. Under the draft law of the Ministry of National Defense “Approval of draft defense contracts for the amendment of contracts no. 016B/21 and 017B/21 concerning the procurement of ‘FDI HN’ frigates and their follow-on support” the following are stipulated:

• Approval is granted for the draft of Amendment Contract No. 1 to Contract No. 016B/21 (Article 1 of Law 4891/2022) for the procurement of three (3) frigates with an option for the purchase of one (1) additional frigate, including related items and services, between the Ministry of National Defense and the manufacturer Naval Group. This Amendment Contract includes: a) the upgrade of the three (3) original frigates (HN1 Kimon, HN2 Nearhos, HN3 Formion) and b) the exercise of the purchase option for the fourth frigate (HN4) Themistocles. The total cost is €922 million.
• Approval is granted for the draft of Amendment Contract No. 1 to Contract No. 017B/21 (Article 2 of Law 4891/2022) for the follow-on support (FOS) of the frigates, including related items and services, between the Ministry of National Defense and the manufacturer Naval Group. This Amendment Contract includes: a) the extension of the initial three-year FOS period for the first three frigates, as specifically defined and b) the provision of FOS for the fourth frigate (HN4) as well as the upgraded three (3) original frigates (HN1, HN2, HN3). The total cost is €60 million.

The €982 million expenditure will be disbursed in installments from the current year through 2030. The government’s goal is to have the contract signed by the end of 2025. The fourth FDI HN frigate is most likely to be assigned the pennant number F-600 and will cost approximately €810 million including ILS, studies, documentation, initial set of on board and of base spare parts. The procurement of Themistocles is not accompanied by a contract for its MBDA weapons loadout (ASTER, EXOCET), as was the case with the previous three. Logically, this is expected to be arranged in the near future. France has also agreed to Greece’s request for 25% industrial returns, valued at approximately €200 million, to benefit Greek defense companies.

The announcement of the ELSA program signals the gradual transition from the Naval Cruise Missile (NCM) to a new, more advanced cruise missile system, which is still under development. Regarding the designations Standard 2+ and Standard ++, these likely refer to the integration of new weapons, such as the ELSA cruise missile, the RAM Block 2B SAM or ASTER Block1 NT, as well as upgrades to the CMS, electronic systems, and the incorporation of UAV capabilities. Based on our assessment, however, the first frigate, Kimon, is expected to remain without cruise missiles. Moreover, the upgrades will be carried out on the FDI frigates gradually over the long term (see table below). Themistocles will be delivered in Standard 2+ from built in December 2028. Approximately €5 million will cost to bring Themistocles (and each frigate) to Standard 2++ configuration delivered in Greece by March 2030. Upgrading the first three ships to Standard 2++ will cost about €61 million in total. It is reported that the first steel cutting took place in June 2025, confirming that the FDI under construction without a designated customer is intended for Greece.

The decision to proceed with a fourth FDI frigate reflects both the Hellenic Navy leadership’s satisfaction with the progress and capabilities of the new class, and the government’s confidence in the FDI program. The prospect of a fourth frigate was first raised by Minister of Defence Nikos Dendias during his visit to Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard in September 2024, where three FDI HN frigates are currently under construction for the Hellenic Navy. On that occasion, Minister Dendias announced that Greece would enter negotiations to acquire a fourth frigate and to equip part of the class with NCM.

Later that same day, Prime Minister Mitsotakis confirmed that the procedures for procuring the fourth frigate had officially begun, adding that “the expenditure for this new acquisition has been budgeted in a way that does not disrupt our fiscal stability. Nevertheless, it was deemed necessary, since safeguarding our homeland is a non-negotiable priority.” Months later, in April 2025, during an interview at the Delphi Economic Forum X, Dendias confirmed that technical discussions between the two sides regarding the fourth FDI had been completed, with the only remaining issue being an agreement on the sale price.

It should be noted that the acquisition of a fourth frigate was part of the original plan. The option was included in the contract signed on March 24, 2022, between the Greek government and French defense companies Naval Group, MBDA, and Thales. That agreement covered the procurement of three (+1 optional) Defence and Intervention Frigate (FDI) in Hellenic Navy configuration (FDI HN), all to be built in Lorient, France, along with their weapons package and integrated logistics support (ILS). The new ships are expected to replace aging Elli-class (Kortenaer/S) frigates currently in service. It is worth mentioning that on April 1, 2025, Naval Group presented Greece’s political and military leadership with a proposal that, among other elements, includes the local construction of three additional Kimon-class (FDI HN) frigates, in addition to the four already contracted.

The 122-meter multi-mission frigates will form the Kimon class, named after renowned Greek admirals Kimon, Nearhos, Formion and Themistocles. Notably, these names were previously used for the four former United States Navy C.F. Adams-class destroyers (1991-2004). Armed with, among other systems, a single-arm Mk13 missile launcher for 40 km-range SM-1 SAM, they were the Hellenic Navy’s first dedicated anti-air warfare (AAW) ships.

The first ship, Kimon (F-601), is scheduled for delivery to the Hellenic Navy before the end of 2025 in the initial French configuration (FDI Standard 1). Although originally built for the French Navy, which plans to procure five FDIs (three are already under construction) to replace its La Fayette-class frigates, both vessels are already being fitted with expanded weaponry, including 16 additional SYLVER A50 VLS cells, a 21-tube RAM CIWS, and SYLENA AAW decoy launching systems (DLS). By October 2027, Kimon will be upgraded to the Standard 2+ configuration, with all systems fully integrated into the SETIS combat management system (CMS) and complemented by additional capabilities. By 2029, it will further be upgraded to Standard 2++.