French Naval Force Welcomes the Revolutionary FDI Warship by Naval Group

The event saw the participation of Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister for the Armed Forces, along with his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos.

During the event, Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group, stated: “We take great pride in celebrating this monumental progress in the industrial production of the first defense and intervention frigate for the French Navy. These cutting-edge vessels symbolize the zenith of French naval expertise. The Navies utilizing them will gain a high-performance, resilient ship, capable of countering dynamic threats, largely due to the incorporation of state-of-the-art digital technologies. Naval Group remains committed to providing its clients with unparalleled expertise to safeguard their sovereignty.”

The initial maritime trials are planned for 2023, with the frigate’s delivery anticipated in 2024. The following four vessels in the series are expected to be completed by 2030. Concurrently, Naval Group is also engaged in constructing three FDI frigates for the Hellenic Navy, with a potential fourth vessel under review.

A Showcase of Regional and National Industrial Capability

Thanks to investments by Naval Group, the Lorient facility features modern industrial infrastructure, enabling it to address the technical and technological challenges associated with the design and mass production of naval vessels. This enhanced industrial setup allows Naval Group to deliver two ships annually from its Lorient facilities beginning in 2025.

To guarantee these frigates meet military standards, Naval Group employs a diverse range of specialized skillsets. Some of these abilities are unique and limited, often developed through extensive training, including sheet metal carpentry, formator-straightening, hull welding, and pipe fitting.

To maintain these advanced skills for naval initiatives, Naval Group actively promotes the recruitment of new talent, having onboarded nearly 500 work-study students and more than 1500 new team members since the beginning of the year.

The FDI initiative enhances the technological advantage of the French naval industrial sector. The program boosts employment in the shipbuilding industry across France, especially in Lorient. Currently, over 1,200 individuals are engaged full-time with the program at Naval Group, along with more than 400 subcontractors. The FDI initiative incorporates numerous French and Greek collaborators, including Thales and MBDA.

FDI: The Groundbreaking, 100% Digital, and Cyber-Secure Multi-Role Combat Frigate

The FDI is classified as a high-seas vessel. Versatile and robust, it is designed to operate independently or as part of a naval task force. It possesses capabilities across all warfare categories: anti-surface, anti-air, anti-submarine, and special forces deployment. Combining the finest of French naval technologies within a compact platform, the FDI represents a powerful and innovative frigate, built to adapt to changing threats.

Utilizing the latest digital tools for design and production, the FDI is the first frigate to adopt a digital architecture that allows for continuous adaptation to technological and operational shifts. Consequently, the FDI is optimized to address both current and anticipated threats while managing increasingly large data volumes.

The FDI will also be the first French frigate inherently protected against cyber threats, featuring two data centers to accommodate a substantial portion of the ship’s applications. The FDI introduces a dedicated system designed for asymmetric warfare, facilitating the coordination and execution of tactics against small and close aerial and surface threats, including explosive-laden boats.

Robustly armed with Exocet MM40 B3C anti-surface missiles, Aster anti-air missiles, MU90 antisubmarine torpedoes, and artillery, the FDI can deploy a helicopter (10-ton class such as NH90) or the forthcoming Joint Light Helicopter along with an unmanned aerial vehicle (up to 700kg) simultaneously. Additionally, it can host a Special Forces unit alongside their commando vessels. These vessels are equipped with the next-generation Seafire radar, featuring four fixed panels, developed by Thales, providing unmatched area defense capabilities when integrated with the missile launch system.

Technical Specifications:

• • Displacement: 4,500 tons class;
• • Length: 122 meters;
• • Beam: 18 meters;
• • Max speed: 27 knots;
• • Autonomy: 45 days;
• • Accommodation: 125-person crew + 28 passengers.