Sweden’s decision to buy French frigates a boost for Greek naval program

Athens has welcomed the Swedish government’s determination to proceed with the acquisition of 4 French FDI frigates, a improvement intimately monitored by the Ministry of National Defense and the Hellenic Navy owed to a bid of favorable outcomes it is expected to bring.

Greek officials view the determination arsenic reinforcing the broader FDI program, arsenic it ends Greece’s status arsenic the sole planetary lawsuit and is expected to little costs while improving the availability of spare parts, attraction support, and upgrade pathways.

It is besides anticipated to heighten semipermanent interoperability betwixt the Greek, French and Swedish navies, which will progressively run “in the aforesaid operational language.”

Sweden’s acquisition, valued astatine astir €4 billion, will spot the frigates built astatine the Naval Group shipyards successful Lorient, northwestern France. Once completed, the total fig of FDI (“Belharra”) frigates will emergence to 13, 5 of these for France, and 4 apiece for Greece and Sweden.

The enlargement is considered important for economies of scale, with accrued request expected to little costs for spare parts, upgrades and semipermanent support. It is besides expected to spread probe and improvement expenses crossed a larger user base, reducing upgrade costs implicit time.

The Swedish Navy is expected to person its archetypal FDI frigate by 2030. Greece has already scheduled upgrades for its archetypal two frigates, “Kimon” (currently successful precocious trials and last outfitting) and “Nearchos.” The transportation of “Nearchos” is expected connected 26 October, followed by “Formion” towards the extremity of this year. The 4th Greek frigate, “Themistoklis,” is scheduled for transportation by the extremity of 2028.