At the 10th Delphi Economic Forum, Greece’s Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, discussed the country’s plans for new defense procurement and its growing defense industry.
In his speech at the forum, with the theme “The New Deterrence Doctrine in an Ever-Changing Geopolitical Security Environment,” Dendias confirmed that Greece is moving forward with plans to acquire a fourth French FDI HN (Belharra) frigate. He mentioned that while technical discussions are progressing, finalizing the financial agreement remains to be done.
This new frigate, like the already ordered Nearchos and Formion frigates, will be equipped with strategic weapons, including Cruise Missiles, which significantly enhance the Greek Navy’s operational capabilities. Dendias described the French frigates as “the best equipped and most modern in the world”.
Discussions on Italian FREMM Frigates
In addition to the French FDI frigates, Dendias revealed that Greece is also considering the acquisition of two used Italian FREMM frigates (Bergamini-class). He highlighted their high operational value and their role as technological precursors to the U.S. Constellation-class frigates, with which Greece hopes to collaborate on future co-production.
Strengthening Greece’s Defense Industry
The Minister also emphasized the importance of strengthening Greece’s defense industry. He confirmed that there is a French proposal to establish a production line for frigates and submarines at the Skaramanga Shipyards. Furthermore, he made it clear that the government fully supports any proposal that increases Greece’s involvement in production.
“I have given specific instructions to the General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) to negotiate with the goal of at least 25% Greek participation,” Dendias noted, underscoring that Greece now has the luxury of a long-term, 20-year defense planning framework.