Greece Signs LoI for Two French Frigates, Discusses Mirage 2000 Upgrade

(Source: Ekathimerini; posted Oct. 11, 2019)

Greece today signed a Letter of Intent to buy two Belharra frigates similar to those that Naval Group is building for the French Navy. If the deal goes through, Greece will become the frigate’s first export customer. (NG image)

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Thursday signaled Greece’s willingness to launch talks for the acquisition of two new navy frigates in talks with his French counterpart Florence Parly in Paris.

The ministers signed a statement of intent for the acquisition by the Hellenic Navy of two Belharra-class frigates, Panagiotopoulos said, adding that there was “a long way to go” before an agreement is reached on the required “technical aspects” of the vessels.

Another point of discussion was some pending issues relating to the maintenance of French Mirage fighter jets, he said.

The two ministers also discussed Turkey’s offensive in Syria and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey continues its illegal prospecting for hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Ekathimerini website.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: If this deal goes through, Greece will become the first export customer for Naval Group’s Belharra-class frigates, which the French Navy is ordering as Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI).
France plans to buy at least five.
These ships will displace around 4,000 tonnes, and will be the first French warship to be fitted with flat-panel AESA radar (Thales’ Sea Fire 500) as well as a hull-mounted sonar.
Its armaments fit will include Aster 30 air-defense missiles, a 76mm gun, MLU 90 torpedoes and MM-40 Exocet anti-ship missiles and possibly MdCN naval cruise missiles.)

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