Naval Group delivers its first defense and intervention frigate to the Hellenic Navy

On December 18, 2025, in Lorient, Naval Group delivered the HS Kimon, the first defense and intervention frigate for the Hellenic Navy (FDI HN), in the presence of Nikos Dendias, Greek Minister of Defense, and Catherine Vautrin, Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs. This delivery marks a major milestone for Naval Group, which has three other FDI HN frigates to deliver to Greece. These latest-generation frigates, ready for high-intensity combat, will enable Greece to rapidly and sustainably strengthen the capabilities of its surface fleet.

"The delivery of the first FDI for the Hellenic Navy, HS Kimon, represents a major milestone in our cooperation with Greece. We are honored to put our expertise at the service of the Hellenic Navy's sovereignty and naval superiority through the FDI frigates, which offer very high-level capabilities in all areas of combat." Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.

A strategic program at the heart of long-term Franco-Greek cooperation

This first delivery to Greece comes two months after the delivery of the first FDI to the French Navy. The next two frigates for the Hellenic Navy will be delivered in 2026, and the fourth FDI HN ordered last November will be delivered in three years.

The Hellenic Navy has also awarded Naval Group the initial contract for in-service support of the FDIs. Maintenance and upgrade operations will be carried out in close collaboration between Naval Group, its Greek subsidiary Naval Group Hellas, and their local industrial partners.

To successfully complete this major program, Naval Group is drawing on its unique expertise to develop a modern, high-performance construction process with optimized construction times, enabling the production of two ships per year.

A first-rate frigate, the FDI has proven capabilities in all areas of combat (anti-aircraft, anti submarine, anti-surface and asymmetric). Scalable and versatile, it combines all the functions needed to manage, either independently or as part of a fleet, current and emerging threats such as latest-generation submarines, supersonic missiles, cyberattacks, and multifaceted asymmetric threats. Its compact layout and unique design make it perfectly suited to different environments and rough seas around the world.

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Coline Gagneux
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