ATHENS : Greece’s top security council approved today the purchase of a fourth Belharra-class frigate from France, marking a major step in Athens’s push to modernize its navy and counter growing maritime pressures from neighboring Turkiye.
The decision by KYSEA (the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence) follows the 2021 deal for three FDI Belharra ships valued at roughly €3 billion, with an option for this additional vessel. Greece now aims to replace Cold War-era frigates that have served over three decades in its fleet.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed the new frigate will be fitted to carry shore-launched ballistic missiles, giving Athens a powerful deterrent in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean. A formal contract and financing details are expected to clear a parliamentary committee within days.
This move comes amid heightened tensions with Turkiye over disputed offshore zones and drilling rights, as Ankara has signaled fresh scientific surveys in contested Aegean waters. Greek naval planners see the Belharra’s advanced air-defence, anti-submarine and electronic-warfare systems as critical to maintaining balance.
Athens’s broader 10-year defence blueprint allocates over €25 billion for new F-35 fighter jets from the United States, next-generation submarines, an integrated “Achilles Shield” anti-aircraft dome, and fleets of sea, air and underwater drones. The Belharra fleet will form the backbone of surface operations alongside these assets.
French shipbuilder Naval Group, which designed the Belharra frigates, has already delivered Greece’s first two vessels and is completing the third at its Lorient yard. The added fourth hull is slated for delivery by 2029, ensuring continuous upgrades in Greek naval firepower.
+ There are no comments
Add yours