Naval Group Launches First FDI Frigate for Greece

Naval Group launched the first FDI frigate, Kimon, for the Hellenic Navy at its Lorient shipyard on Oct. 4.

The ceremonial launching took place in the presence of Sébastien Lecornu, the French minister of the Armed Forces, and his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Dendias.

The contract for the procurement of three frigates, plus one optional, was signed with Greece on March 24, 2022. All three frigates are in production. The first pre-outfitted block of the second unit, HS Nearchos, has just been transferred into the dry dock for keel laying, and the first steel-cutting of the third HS Formion frigate occurred on July 12, 2023. The next steps for HS Kimon include the first sea-going scheduled for 2024 and delivery in 2025.

HS Kimon frigate is a 4,500-ton class high-sea warship used for anti-ship, anti-air, anti-submarine, and special forces projection, with unique capabilities against asymmetric threats. The ship is fitted with Thales’ radar, sonar, and electronic warfare equipment, including MBDA Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, RAM systems, and MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, as well as artillery. The HS Kimon frigate can embark simultaneously a helicopter and an aerial vehicle (UAV).

Technical specifications of the HS Kimon:

Displacement: 4,500 tons

Length: Approximately 122 meters

Width: 18 meters

Maximum speed: 27 knots

Aviation facilities: 10-ton class helicopter, VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

The main armaments of the HS Kimon include:

32 Aster missiles developed by MBDA

8 Exocet MM40 B3C missiles developed by MBDA

RAM missiles

MU 90 torpedoes developed by Naval Group

76 mm gun

4 torpedo tubes

CANTO countermeasures developed by Naval Group.