Naval Group: A Landmark Year for the Belharra Frigates – A Flurry of Deliveries to the Navy

The French company Naval Group, manufacturer of the FDI (Belharra).

Deliveries

In a statement, the company reports that following the 2025 delivery of the frigate “Kimon,” the first FDI in the series of four frigates being built for the Hellenic Navy, Naval Group, in collaboration with its French and Greek partners, is proceeding with the construction of the next three FDI vessels: the frigate “Nearchos,” the frigate “Formion,” and the frigate “Themistocles.”

Already, the frigate “Kimon” arrived in Greece in mid-January 2026, and the delivery of two more ships—the frigates “Nearchos” and “Formion”—is expected this year.

Specifically, regarding the progress of the FDI frigate construction program for the Hellenic Navy, Naval Group notes that sea trials for the “Nearchos” began this February, and in the second half of the year, “final acceptance trials and at-sea readiness activities” are expected to be completed, with delivery estimated for around October 2026.

The program

For the frigate “Formion,” the third to be delivered to the Hellenic Navy, the first sea trials began on June 22.

“This initial two-week period is dedicated to safety and propulsion (speed, maneuverability),” the announcement adds.

“Thanks to the production process—hull and PSIM in parallel—the main Combat Systems sensors can even be tested starting during this first phase,” explains Naval Group.

“This milestone also marks the success of Naval Group’s consistent and ambitious Greek Industrial Participation (HIP) plan, as the frigate incorporates numerous components manufactured in Greece,” the announcement continues.

The components are being delivered “on time,” the announcement states, adding, for example, that AKMON is supplying consoles, METLEN is supplying the torpedo hatches, KAFKAS the electrical panels, Marita HELLAS the liferafts, and MEVACO the marine systems equipment), Salamina Shipyards is supplying the pre-equipped hulls, and VIKING NORDSAFE HELLAS is supplying the RHIBs.

The frigate is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

For the frigate “Themistocles,” the fourth FDI for the Hellenic Navy, which was ordered in November 2025, the pre-equipped blocks—manufactured entirely by Salamis Shipyards—have been assembled.

In addition, the hull assembly is moving along the dock and recently floated to change position on the dock, the announcement adds.

Assembly and outfitting activities are continuing (outfitting, fluids, insulation, piping, electrical systems), propulsion, painting, etc.), while at the same time, according to the announcement, construction of the panoramic sensor and intelligence unit (PSIM) unit is proceeding.

FDI Frigates: High-Intensity Operations Ships

As a front-line frigate, the FDI has proven its capabilities in all areas of warfare (anti-air, anti-submarine, surface warfare, and asymmetric threats).

“Scalable and flexible,” says Naval Group, it combines all the operational domains required to counter—either autonomously or as part of a strike force—current and emerging threats, such as latest-generation submarines, hypersonic missiles, cyberattacks, and complex asymmetric threats.

Its compact layout and unique design make it ideal for diverse environments and challenging maritime conditions around the world.  

The ship’s key specifications are:

– Displacement: 4,500-metric-ton class

– Length: 122 meters

– Beam: 18 meters

– Speed: 27 knots

– Range: 45 days

– Capacity: crew of 125 + 28 passengers

Focus on Hellenic Industrial Participation

As part of the Hellenic Industrial Participation (Hellenic Industrial Participation) signed in 2022, more than 120 contracts have been signed with approximately 70 Greek companies for the construction of Greek and French FDIs.

Beyond the FDI program, this specific industrial plan has already yielded numerous and lasting economic benefits for Greek industry, as it has enabled Greek companies to join Naval Group’s supply chain for current and future French and export programs.

Already, 75 Greek companies are registered on Naval Group’s supply chain platform.

From this broader perspective, the Greek Defense Industrial and Technological Base (DITB) will strengthen its position in the global naval defense market, according to Naval Group.

As an example of its agreements with Greek defense companies, Naval Group notes that this past March, Naval Group and METLEN signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding submarine and surface ship projects.

Furthermore, Naval Group organized the Research and Development (R&D) Partners Day in Athens.

The event aimed to identify new opportunities for cooperation between Naval Group and its Greek partners, both within the framework of European Union calls for proposals and at the bilateral level, with the goal of exploring new technological fields.

The event brought together approximately 100 participants, mainly from the Greek defense industry and technology sector, including companies, laboratories, technology research centers, and academic institutions such as universities.

Furthermore, this past May, two major contracts were signed between Naval Group and Mevaco, and between Naval Group and AKMON S.A., for the production of four sets of ship equipment, each consisting of more than 50 electronic consoles and cabinets for the FDI frigates.

In the same context, starting in 2022, Salamina Shipyards has been fully integrated into Naval Group’s supply chain for both the French and Greek FDI programs.

Fifteen of the 21 sections ordered have already been delivered. According to the announcement, this consistency in deliveries allows Naval Group to ensure the timely and high-quality construction of the FDIs for its customers’ navies. More sections are expected, and the next shipment is already scheduled for this summer, the announcement concludes.