Sept 28,
2023. Posted by Balkan Periscope - Hellas
French shipbuilder Naval Group today conducted the "technical
launch" of the first Kimon-class (FDI HN) for the Hellenic Navy. The
launching ceremony with Greek and French officials will take place on October 4
2023.
by Dimitris Mitsopoulos
Today marks a significant historical moment for Greece and the Hellenic
Navy: The lead ship of the new Kimon-class (FDI HN) frigates was technically
launched at the Naval Group Shipyard in Lorient, France. This outcome stems
from the agreement signed in March 2022 between Greek officials with
French manufacturers Naval Group, MBDA and Thales. The agreement calls for the
procurement of three (plus one optional) Defense and Intervention Frigates
(FDI) in their Hellenic Navy (HN) configuration, along with their weapons
package and integrated logistics support (ILS). The three ships will carry the
names of famous Greek generals and admirals.
The ceremonial launch of the first Greek FDI HN will take place on October
4, 2023 in Lorient in the presence of Sébastien Lecornu, French minister of the
Armed Forces, his Greek counterpart, Nikolaos Dendias and the Chief of the
Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Ioannis Drymousis. The lead
ship, Kimon (F601), is expected to join the Greek Fleet in the first
months of 2025. For the record, the keel laying of the ship took place in October
2022 highlighting a fast construction pace.
FDI HN: A new era for the Hellenic Navy
Tug boats are towing the hull of “Kimon”. The future frigate was floated out on the Scorff river at high tide. Naval Group will continue the fitting out of the ship pier-side, with the fitting of the PSIM among other things. Naval News photo.
The new ship will be the first new major surface combatant after 25 years
when the last Hydra-class (MEKO 200HN) frigate Salamis was
commissioned. Τhe entry
into service of Kimon in 2025 will mark the beginning of a new era
for Greece’s naval capabilities as several characteristics of the new
frigate are introduced for the first time in the Navy. However, the most
crucial addition the new frigate will introduce to the fleet is the integration
of the ASTER 30 SAM system paired with the cutting-edge SEAFIRE radar. It has
been about 20 years since the decommissioning of the last of the four obsolete
former United States Navy C.F. Adams-class destroyers (D218 Kimon) armed
with 40km-range SM-1 SAM, the only ships that could provide a large defensive
umbrella over a fleet operating in hostile areas, as the current the frigates
rely on ESSM Block 1 (Hydra-class) and NSSM (Elli-class) for air defence.
It’s noteworthy that the commencement of steel cutting for the second FDI
HN, Nearhos (F602), occurred ahead of schedule, on July 13, 2022,
deviating from the contract’s initial estimate of October 31, 2022. A similar
scenario unfolded for the third FDI HN, Phormion (F603), with the
cutting of its inaugural steel plate taking place on July 12, 2023, as opposed
to the originally projected date of October 31, 2023. Naval Group reported
their accomplishment of a 36-month construction timeline.
Boasting an array of state-of-the-art sensors and weapons capable of
facilitating a wide spectrum of modern naval operations, the FDI HN
unquestionably will be one of the most powerful surface combatants in its class
and one of the most sophisticated designs on a global scale. Bringing together
the best of naval technologies on a compact platform, the 4,550-ton FDI HN is a
powerful, multipurpose and innovative frigate with the highest degrees of
automation and control, designed to meet the evolution of threats.
The original plan of Greece outlined the procurement of four new frigates.
However, it remains uncertain whether the Greek government will choose to
exercise the option for a fourth vessel, which, if pursued, is likely to bear
the name of one of the most famous naval heroes (and politicians) in Greek
history, Themistocles.
Editing by Xavier Vavasseur
--
Naval News