Introducing HS NEARCHOS: The Hellenic Navy’s Cutting-Edge Guardian Has Landed!
On September 19th, 2024, the opening ceremony for the second FDI frigate Hellenic Ship (HS) Nearchos took place at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient.
The festive occasion was graced by Nikolaos Dendias, Minister of National Defense of the Hellenic Republic, and General Gaël Diaz de Tuesta, Director of the International Direction of the French General Armament Directorate (delegating for Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister of the Armed Forces). Additionally, General Dimitrios Choupis, Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (HNDGS), Vice Admiral Dimitrios E. Kataras, Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff (HNGS), along with Major General Ioannis Bouras, General Director of GDDIA, were also present throughout the ceremony.
The HS Nearchos frigate joined its sister vessel HS Kimon on the Scorff river, which is currently undergoing harbor trials before commencing its inaugural sea trials. The HS Nearchos is set to receive its Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module (PSIM) a few weeks following its launching. The trio of Hellenic Frigates is now at a pivotal stage of construction, as the third unit, HS Formion, whose keel was laid in April, completed its hull assembly this past August. One of her segments, section 8, was produced by Salamis Shipyards in Greece. This trio of frigates is slated for delivery in 2025 and 2026.
This event further underscores the accomplishments of the strong, enduring industrial collaboration between France and Greece, especially reflected in the engagement of multiple Greek manufacturers within Naval Group’s supply chain. In this framework, HS Nearchos, along with the other FDI frigates, integrates various components “crafted in Greece.”
An advanced, formidable, and digital frigate
The FDI for the Hellenic Navy is a 4,500-ton vessel. Multifunctional and resilient, it will enable the Hellenic Navy to sustain its maritime supremacy in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea due to its enhanced capabilities across multiple facets of naval war: anti-air, anti-submarine, anti-ship, and special forces deployment, with unique skills against asymmetric threats. It also utilizes the latest innovations from Thales in radar, sonar, and electronic warfare.
Heavily equipped (including MBDA Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface and Aster anti-missile missiles, RAM systems, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, and artillery), HS Nearchos concurrently supports a helicopter and has a capacity for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
It also leverages the expertise of Thales, MBDA, and all other partners and subcontractors involved.
Technical specifications:
- 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)
Main armaments:
CANTO countermeasures designed by Naval Group
32 Aster missiles crafted by MBDA
8 Exocet MM40 B3C missiles engineered by MBDA
RAM missiles
MU90 torpedoes manufactured by Naval Group
76 mm gun
4 torpedo tubes
