Naval Group Unveils Exciting Proposal to Revitalize Greece’s Naval Fleet

Naval Group has presented, as a part of the French Coalition alongside MBDA and Thales, an innovative proposal for the enhancement of the surface fleet of the Hellenic Navy. The French Coalition’s proposal is a detailed and resilient package aimed at guaranteeing that Greece attains optimal capabilities in the briefest possible timeframe with optimized expenditures, which includes:
• 4 FDI HN – the most advanced frigate – 3 constructed in Greece and the first entering service by 2025, along with a Gap filler solution of 2 frigates ready by early 2022
• the refurbishment of the MEKO frigates in Greece
• an ambitious Hellenic Industry Participation (HIP)

Beyond strengthening the robust relationship between France and Greece, the French proposal caters to all current and prospective demands of the Hellenic Navy with a thorough package centered on the FDI HN, recognized as the finest frigate in its category, and also the first modern one readily accessible.

Featuring this global package of modern frigates outfitted with advanced Sea Fire radar and missile systems respectively catered by Thales and MBDA, along with the solution for the MEKO modernization and the Gap Filler, the French Coalition is committed to enhancing HN capabilities to meet both immediate and future requirements while generating and maintaining employment and economic advantages for the nation for decades ahead.

The FDI HN, the optimal solution to the needs of the Hellenic Navy

The FDI HN is the sole frigate offered to the Hellenic Navy proficient enough to effectively safeguard high-value units or areas at sea, coastal facilities, cities, and Greek islands.

The FDI HN will serve as a powerful and sovereign asset for Greece. Equipped with up to 32 ASTER missiles or a mix of ASTER and MICA NG missiles, 21 RAM missiles, 8 Exocet MM 40 B 3, MU 90 lightweight torpedoes, and a 76 mm cannon, it provides exceptional capabilities for comprehensive control of aerial and maritime space and independence of action, supporting the political and military goals established. Like all Naval Group frigates, the FDI HN will be fully compatible with NATO and EU naval fleets. It will be able to undertake all multi-role missions within any allied fleet and within the HN fleet.

The FDI HN embodies the finest technological advancements from European defense firms Thales, MBDA, and Naval Group. The onboard Aster missiles can be deployed with remarkable speed in all directions and offer an unparalleled hit-to-kill proficiency, enabling it to counter saturating assaults.
The FDI frigate has been conceptualized with growth opportunities, incorporating Naval Cruise Missiles, a Deep Strike capability unique in the marketplace offered by Naval Group, equipping it to tackle the latest threats. The physical and digital infrastructures of the FDI ensure evolutionary potential that will ascertain the Hellenic Navy can confront emerging and future challenges over the vessel’s service life (UAVs, Cyber, anti-ship ballistic missiles, hypersonic threats, stealth challenges underwater or on the surface, etc.).

The inaugural FDI HN is scheduled for delivery in 2025, indicating that the demands of the HN will be met swiftly, while Naval Group proposes a risk-free strategy for the assembly of the additional 3 FDI HN in Greece by local shipyards, ensuring timely delivery with the same caliber and performance as the first unit.

Naval Group boasts a longstanding history of successful technology transfers globally. The frigates will be co-manufactured in Greece, with substantial collaboration from the French coalition. The construction of the initial frigate in France will guarantee operations by Greece in the briefest timeframe and secure technology transfer for the assembly of 3 frigates in Greece—ensuring long-term independence for HN and significant economic advantages for the Hellenic naval and defense sectors as well as hundreds of enduring jobs in Greece.

A Gap Filler solution available in under a year alongside the FDI HN frigates proposal

Additionally, the French proposal encompasses a Gap Filler solution, also accessible in the shortest timeframe, as the 2 Anti-air Warfare (AAW) and Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates are set to be delivered to Greece in 2022 within the scope of this proposal.

The frigates are still operational with the French Navy for both national and international missions, evidencing their full interoperability with any other NATO vessel and providing capabilities essential to addressing current threats.

They will greatly enhance the HN fleet during the transitional period before the delivery of the FDI HN in 2025.

The modernization of the MEKO frigates in Greece

To fulfill Greece’s specifications, we have established a collaboration that guarantees a risk-free solution for the MEKO upgrade.

Leveraging their specialized knowledge and expertise, Thales and Naval Group are ideally situated to offer an optimal cost-performance balance, both for the mid-life upgrade initiative itself and for ensuring the operational readiness of the vessels.

The MEKO mid-life refurbishment program is slated to take place in Greece. In this regard, Thales can rely on the establishment of Thales Hellas S.A. and the existing rapport between Thales and Naval Group with current industrial collaborators.

An ambitious Hellenic Industry Participation initiative

As part of strengthening Greece’s sovereignty, the participation of the Hellenic industry will heighten the country’s excellence in the naval arena, generating long-lasting economic benefits and jobs, as well as guaranteeing maintenance autonomy of the warships in Greece by the local industry.

In recent months, Naval Group has deployed a dedicated task force of specialists in Greece to enhance the evaluation of the Hellenic industry. Their mission is explicit: to identify all local firms eager to engage in the local fabrication of the FDI HN frigates, the upgrading of the MEKO 200HN, their future in-service support, and also extending beyond the Greek frigate program to other international naval initiatives in collaboration with Naval Group.

This Hellenic Industry Participation strategy will foster new capabilities within the Greek industry, sustaining thousands of highly skilled jobs and generating enduring economic benefits in Greece.

FDI HN “made in Greece, by the Hellenic Industry, for the Hellenic Navy”

Throughout the past decades, Naval Group has cultivated substantial expertise and conducted successful initiatives with extensive transfers of surface vessel and submarine production within its international partners’ facilities, such as in Singapore, India, Brazil, and Egypt. Building on this unparalleled and risk-free Transfer of Technology framework, Naval Group presents a secure co-production of three (3) FDI HN frigates in Greece, through a major Greek shipyard with significant participation from the Hellenic Industrial ecosystem.

Naval Group’s Hellenic Industrial Participation framework is crafted to deliver “made in Greece” warships with the same quality and performance as the FDI frigates currently being constructed in France for the French Navy, perfectly aligned with the operational requirements of the Hellenic Navy and fully compatible with French and NATO naval forces.

This Hellenic Industry Participation initiative will contribute to revitalizing a robust Greek defense shipbuilding sector, essential for the country’s industrial and operational autonomy in the naval field by:

• Transferring all necessary technology and expertise to Greece to ensure that 3 FDI HN frigates are built in Greece, promptly and with the same quality and performance as the first unit being constructed in France and delivered in 2025
• Maximizing the involvement of the Greek Industry for the In-Service Support of the FDI HN frigates over time.
• The forthcoming four decades
• Enhancing the nation’s independence and self-sufficiency in the construction and service support of naval vessels via technology and knowledge transfers to Greek collaborators
• Contributing to the establishment of a lucrative and pioneering Greek naval defense ecosystem that will foster long-term, high-skill employment for Greek citizens, not only in shipyards but also within electronics, IT, and beyond, while benefiting the national economy.

Fostering enduring alliances with the Hellenic Industry

As a maritime nation with a rich shipbuilding heritage, Greece possesses numerous shipyards and a plethora of defense enterprises. Naval Group’s specialists have been collaborating closely with the two primary defense industry associations, SEKPY and HASDIG, in addition to the maritime industry organization HEMEXPO, and are engaging with all significant, small, and medium-sized Greek companies identified or interested in contributing to the FDI HN initiative across various activity sectors such as platform equipment, construction and integration, combat system technologies and integration, engineering, testing and trial management, support services, R&D initiatives…

Over 70 enterprises situated in the Athens and Thessaloniki regions have been identified, including 10 companies that have already achieved pre-qualification status. Furthermore, 40 companies have been engaged with and/or visited for an initial assessment of their industrial competencies. This process will persist in the upcoming weeks as Naval Group is entirely devoted to securing comprehensive Hellenic industry involvement.

In addition to participation in the FDI HN and MEKO 200HN initiatives, all qualified Greek firms will become integrated into the supply chains of the French industrial team and will have opportunities to engage in other forthcoming international competitions. This will bolster their capabilities, as well as their potential economic advantages and visibility in the global naval marketplace.

Naval Group’s strategy for Hellenic Industrial Participation will support the construction of the FDI HN and will also facilitate the development of a resilient naval industrial ecosystem capable of engaging in future national and international complex projects, whether independently or in partnership with Naval Group, thereby sustaining thousands of highly skilled jobs and generating enduring economic benefits in Greece for many years ahead.

Transforming Greece into a hub for naval innovation

Naval Group also demonstrates a keen interest in creating collaborative R&D initiatives with Hellenic enterprises, universities, and research institutions in cutting-edge technologies such as additive manufacturing, predictive maintenance, drones, and naval mission systems. Naval Group’s goal is to establish a network dedicated to technological and research projects aimed at enhancing Greece’s future naval warfare capabilities.

Naval Group is actively working on cybersecurity pertinent to naval and maritime sectors with Greek partners as part of various European programs like CYBERMAR, alongside the PESCO Pandora and H2020 projects.

Finally, France and Greece both share a fundamental need for maritime surveillance. Naval Group seeks to establish, in collaboration with Greek partners, an industrial and commercial enterprise that would cater to the European market from Greece. Naval Group has commenced discussions with Hellenic enterprises to strategically position itself within European research initiatives and to undertake joint projects.