Greek Parliament to Approve Frigate “Themistocles” Armed with Cruise Missiles over 1,000 km

The Hellenic Parliament is acceptable to o.k. the acquisition of a 4th FDI (Belharra) frigate, to beryllium named “Themistocles”, successful the advanced Standard 2++ configuration. This next-generation warship is expected to importantly boost the capabilities of the Hellenic Navy, arsenic it volition beryllium the archetypal to carry new-generation Cruise missiles with a scope of implicit 1,000 kilometers.

Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias, arriving astatine the Parliament for the Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee session, declared: “I americium definite that the Hellenic Parliament volition enactment the authorities successful the nationalist necessity of further strengthening the Navy.”

The New Era of Belharra Frigates

According to Dendias, the Belharra Standard 2++ incorporates 10 large improvements implicit the earlier configuration, drafting lessons from some caller conflicts worldwide and the “Aspides” naval cognition successful the Red Sea.

“I situation accidental with afloat cognition that the Belharra Standard 2++ is contiguous the astir precocious frigate connected the planet,” he emphasized.

One of the astir captious upgrades is the quality to motorboat the new ELSA Cruise missile (European Long Range Strike Approach), a pan-European programme designed to supply long-range precision onslaught capability. This rocket volition widen Greece’s scope heavy into strategical territory.

ELSA – Europe’s Answer to Tomahawk and Kalibr

The ELSA program aims to present Europe’s equivalent to the American Tomahawk and Russian Kalibr missiles. The 4th Greek FDI volition beryllium equipped with the Sylver 70 vertical motorboat system, already susceptible of firing the French SCALP Naval (MdCN) and, successful the future, the ELSA erstwhile improvement is completed.

With this addition, Greece positions itself astatine the forefront of Mediterranean naval power, deploying vessels susceptible of precision strikes astatine agelong distances.

Strategic and Political Significance

The 4th FDI frigate and the upgrade of the 3 antecedently ordered ships to the Standard 2++ level ensure that the Hellenic Navy volition run a homogeneous, state-of-the-art fleet.

“It is simply a nationalist necessity, but besides a almighty concern for the aboriginal of Greece’s defence and security,” Dendias concluded.