Naval Group Launches Greece’s First Belharra Frigate

Naval Group has launched Greece’s first Belharra-class medium-sized frigate in Lorient, France.

The event is a part of a September 2021 contract searching for three warships to bolster the Hellenic Navy’s capabilities in supporting nationwide safety and the EU.

As soon as accomplished, the brand new vessels can be built-in into the navy’s lively fleet consisting of 13 frigates made between the Eighties and early 2000s.

The contract covers corresponding frigate gear and an choice for an extra Belharra unit.

The HS Kimon

Referred to as HS Kimon, the frigate is a 4,500-ton (4.5 million kilograms) ship with a size of 122 meters (400 toes), a width of 18 meters (59 toes), and a beam measuring 17.7 meters (58 toes).

It will likely be powered by mixed diesel and diesel engine for a most velocity of 27 knots (50 kilometers/31 miles per hour).

Deliberate weapons embody Aster surface-to-air missiles, Exocet MM40 B3C naval anti-ship missiles, MU 90 light-weight anti-submarine torpedoes, CANTO countermeasures, and 76-millimeter weapons.

HS Kimon’s aviation deck can accommodate rotorcrafts just like a Guépard Marine H160M or MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, in addition to SDAM or Schiebel Camcopter S-100 aerial drones.

Defence and Intervention Frigate

Belharra-class frigates are the export model of the French authorities’s upcoming Defence and Intervention Frigate (FDI).

The French contract ordered 5 ships and was signed 4 years previous to the Hellenic frigates settlement.

Naval Group partnered with Thales to supply onboard options for the FDIs, together with sonars, radars, digital warfare expertise, and naval communication techniques.

Development of the primary FDI frigate, Amiral Ronarc’h, commenced in 2019. Its keel was laid in 2021. The ship was then launched in November 2022.

The French Navy is scheduled to obtain Amiral Ronarc’h by 2024.