Naval Group lays keel for first Greek FDI frigate

The first block of the first FDI HN frigate is laid down in dry dock at Naval Group's shipyard in Lorient on 21 October. (Naval Group)

French shipbuilder Naval Group has laid down the keel for the first Frégate de Défense et d'Intervention (FDI) multimission frigate on order for the Hellenic Navy (HN).

The first block of the first FDI HN, to be named Kimon , was officially laid down in dry dock during a ceremony held at Naval Group's shipyard in Lorient on 21 October. The keel-laying follows a steel-cutting ceremony for the second ship Nearchos in July.

Naval Group is building three FDI frigates for the HN under a contract signed in March 2022. The contract includes in-service support as well as an option for a fourth frigate.

The FDI HN is the export version of the five Amiral Ronarc'h-class frigates being built for the French Navy.

Under current planning, the first two ships are expected to be delivered in 2025, followed by the third unit in 2026.

The latest milestone follows the signing of several contracts between Naval Group and Greek manufacturers on 18 October at the Euronaval 2020 exhibition in Paris. The deals form part of the shipbuilder's efforts to strengthen industrial partnerships in Greece under the FDI programme and beyond. For the platform, Naval Group signed contracts with Salamis Shipyards (which will produce some of the hull blocks), Mevaco, and Metka. For the combat system, contracts have been signed with Akmon, Marel, and Simon Technologies. According to Naval Group, a total of 20 contracts have been signed with 15 Greek companies since the launch of the FDI HN programme in March.