France proposes 3 more Kimon-class frigates to Greece as U.S. Constellation program collapses.

France has proposed the construction of three additional Kimon-class frigates for the Hellenic Navy, with production to take place in Greek shipyards and technology transfer to local industry.

As reported by Defence Review on January 29, 2026, France and Greece continue to discuss a proposal to build three additional Kimon-class (FDI HN) frigates in Greek shipyards, with technology transfer and defined domestic industrial participation. The talks follow preparations for renewing the 2021 France–Greece Strategic Partnership Agreement in Athens and visits to local shipbuilding facilities. The initiative, which unfolded days after Greece received its first Kimon-class frigate, takes place as Greece reassesses options following the U.S. termination of the Constellation frigate and discussions on the availability of Italian FREMM Bergamini vessels.
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An acceptance of the French proposal would bring the Hellenic Navy to seven or eight FDI HN frigates, prioritizing homogeneity to reduce training and sustainment costs and to streamline logistics, certification, and upgrades. (Picture source: Naval Group)

The proposal, initially tabled in April 2025 by Naval Group, covers the construction of three additional FDI frigates in Greek shipyards, coupled with the transfer of know-how, training, and integration of Greek firms into the production and sustainment chain. Industrial participation thresholds are framed above 30% and elsewhere quantified up to 40% across construction and support, with domestic workshare extending beyond hull fabrication to systems integration and follow-on support. Preferred industrial configurations cite cooperation between Salamis Shipyards and Skaramangas Shipyards, while open points include capital investments, infrastructure upgrades, and whether the prime contractor role would sit with the French shipbuilder or a Greek shipyard.

This proposal is part of a broader willingness by France to pursue additional naval programs in Greece, including Barracuda submarines and other surface and unmanned systems. Late engagements featured the presence in Athens of Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group, and an official visit by Catherine Vautrin, Minister of the French Armed Forces, which included a tour of Salamis facilities with senior diplomatic and industrial representatives. In parallel, Greek official meetings emphasized deepening defense-industrial synergies and advancing renewal of the bilateral strategic agreement signed in 2021, which contains a mutual assistance clause. Statements highlighted the intent to conclude the updated agreement in the near term and to align naval cooperation with research, new technologies, and industrial partnerships.

The frigate construction proposal was therefore framed as a continuation of the existing cooperation, rather than a discrete transaction, aligning with Greece’s modernization trajectory launched in 2021 and extending through the mid-2030s. Industrial groundwork cited for local construction includes ongoing production of pre-outfitted blocks since 2023 for FDI hulls destined for both Greek and French programs, with the Salamis shipyard acting as a subcontractor within the international supply chain. Blocks have already been delivered for the third Greek frigate Formion and for French units, including deliveries completed ahead of contract timelines, and a six-year Follow-on-Support agreement was signed in November 2024 to support frigates operated by both navies.

Parallel activities include the reactivation and upgrade of four Island-class coastal patrol boats delivered in January 2025 with U.S. partners, construction of an unmanned semi-fixed sea surveillance platform with domestic partners and French technical coordination, participation by about 70 Greek companies, 23 signed industrial contracts with additional ones anticipated, and a €15 million investment plan over five years to expand capacity. The acceptance of the proposal would bring the Hellenic Navy to seven or eight Kimon-class/FDI HN/Belharra-class frigates, prioritizing homogeneity to reduce training and sustainment costs and to streamline logistics, certification, and upgrades. The approach is positioned to support economies of scale, common training pipelines, and unified technical support while sustaining readiness across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.

The debate is also situated alongside Greece's other naval planning lines, including corvette acquisition with domestic construction, life-extension of MEKO 200HN units to retain four ships for at least 15 more years through new systems, replacement of older fast attack craft with up to nine new vessels, refurbishment of patrol boats with updated weapons and sensors, and development of special operations craft such as the indigenous Agenor SOC. The industrial and strategic debate coincided with Greece’s formal receipt of HS Kimon on January 15, 2026, the first new frigate inducted into Greek service in 28 years. The delivery sequence began with the naming ceremony and raising of the Greek flag on December 18, 2025, in Lorient, followed by a transit to Brest for armament installation and the first full coupling of sensors, combat system, and weapons under operational conditions, before the voyage to Salamis for national acceptance.

The at-sea welcome involved the country’s political and military leadership, including Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Constantine Tassoulas, and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, and included symbolic escorts linking naval heritage with current fleet renewal. The induction was tied to a wider rearmament framework referencing 24 Rafale fighters on order, a €25 billion modernization plan through 2036, the Achilles’s Shield integrated anti-missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-drone concept, and sustained defense spending at or above NATO’s 2% of GDP benchmark. The Kimon-class frigate, previously known as the Belharra-class or the FDI HN, is heavier and more armed than the French FDI units (although this last point could change in the future), with a displacement close to 4,500 tonnes, length near 122 meters, CODAD propulsion totaling about 32 MW, maximum speed of 27 knots, range of 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots, and endurance up to 45 days.

Aviation facilities support an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned air system, with Greece procuring five S-100 units to expand ISR coverage. The sensor suite centers on the Sea Fire fixed-panel AESA radar, complemented by KingKlip hull sonar, CAPTAS-4 towed array sonar, and the PSIM panoramic sensor and intelligence module, supporting air defense, surface warfare, and anti-submarine operations across Greece’s primary maritime theaters. Weapons and combat systems for Greek ships include 32 Sylver A50 cells for Aster 30 surface-to-air missiles, a 21-cell RAM Block 2B launcher, eight MM40 Block 3C Exocet anti-ship missiles, MU90 lightweight torpedoes from twin launchers, a 76 mm Oto Melara Super Rapid gun, two 20 mm remotely operated weapon stations, and CANTO anti-torpedo countermeasures with SYLENA Mk1 decoy launchers.

The fourth ship, Themistoklis, will receive a Standard II configuration, with cost framed as significantly below €1 billion for the hull excluding weapons, alongside improved communications, weapons integration, and support compared with French ships, and planned integration of a new electronic warfare system. A phased Standard 2++ pathway is set to extend capabilities across the Greek ships, including eight Sylver A70 cells for the ELSA strategic missile with a stated range above 1,000 km, expanded ESM coverage to 0.5–2 GHz, fuller S-100 control via an additional console, PASEO XLR enabling gun fire-control functions, AI-assisted detection and classification of asymmetric threats, full force-level threat evaluation and weapon assignment, SETIS upgrades for RAM Block 2B and smart 76 mm ammunition, tighter integration of the 76 mm gun into ship air defense, and installation of the EAB KENTAUROS anti-drone system.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.