Additional information

Development and Procurement

The programme for five Frégate de Taille Intermédiaire (FTI) frigates was launched in 2015, with state shipbuilder Naval Group expected to build the ships. The company was awarded a €3.8 billion ($4.29 billion) contract in October 2017. The ships' programme name was also changed to the Fregates de Defene et d'Intervention (FDI), to which they are now commonly referred. The design is based on Naval Group’s Belharra model, also known as Belh@arra, to emphasize their digital character and the multi-role frigate is expected to have an anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability.

The FDI frigates will augment the French Navy's existing fleet in line with the governmental intention to field 15 front-line frigates by 2030 as part of the Horizon 2030 targets. The frigates are being built with inverted bow/hull form, which maximises below-deck space and aids in the hull cutting through the water. However, there is the potential for the foredeck of such design to get swamped in heavy seas, although officials at Lorient have claimed the class would be operational in sea states up to 5.5.

In October 2022, during Euronaval in Paris, it was announced that Greek shipyards would build hull-block sections for French and Greek ships of the programme. These will be transported to Lorient for outfitting and integration into finished vessels.

Unit Cost

Naval Group was awarded a €3.8 billion ($4.29 billion) contract for the construction of the FDI frigates in October 2017. This yields a unit cost of $858 million (in 2017 values).

Class Milestones

France

The Critical Design Review (CDR) was achieved in May 2019. A steel-cutting ceremony for the first ship-in-class took place on 24 October 2019, and the keel was laid down on 16 December 2021. The ship has been named Admiral Ronarc'h. The first hull was expected to be delivered by the end of 2023 or the beginning of 2024, but the most recent delivery date schedule is now for mid-2025.

Naval Group, in March 2021, detailed the acceleration of the FDI programme with an order for two frigates from DGA. The order was for the second and third frigate in the build schedule, which were due to be delivered in 2025 instead of the original plan for one to be handed over every 18 months.

On 7 November 2022, the First-of-Class (FoC), Amiral Ronarc'h, was launched at Naval Group's shipyard in Lorient. The FoC will begin its first voyage for sea qualification trials in October 2024 with a view to delivery to the French Navy in the first half of 2025. Following that, the service will take delivery of its remaining ships in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029, respectively. This programme schedule has been shifted because of the decision by Greece to purchase three plus a possible extra one FDI ship directly off the Lorient production line.

Greece

The construction of the first vessel is likely to have started in 2021, while the steel-cutting ceremony of the second ship took place on 13 July 2022.

The keel of the first frigate was laid down on 21 October 2022 in Lorient, and the vessel was launched on 28 September 2023.

The second frigate was launched on 19 September 2024.

Exports and Transfers

Greece

On 24 March 2022, Greece and Naval Group signed a contract for three FDI frigates, plus an option for a fourth vessel. Two warships are due to be delivered in 2025 and the third the following year, with an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.

While the first two frigates will feature a configuration similar to those of the French vessels - called Standard-1 - the third frigate will have a Standard-2 setup: fitted with decoy launchers, 4×8-cell Sylver A50 VLS-cells (with 32 ASTER missiles), and RAM PDMS. If the additional frigate option is chosen, the fourth frigate will be Standard-2 as well. The first two vessels will be upgraded to the Standard-2 by the end of 2027.

On 24 March 2022, MBDA signed a contract with Greece for the procurement of ASTER B1 and MM40 Block 3C missiles.

Equipment Specifications

The FDI vessels have an intended 40-year service life, and with the speed of technological development, a new method of maintenance for the class was necessitated. Rather than having a single mid-life upgrade to accommodate the next generation or two of advancement, the class will be subject to incremental upgrades thanks to cyber-monitoring sustainment capabilities as they occur. I-maintenance software is being installed on all current and future-generation French naval platforms.

Weapons

France

Weapons are to include: a Leonardo 76mm main gun; two Nexter Narwal 20mm secondary weapons; eight Exocet MM40 Block III anti-ship missiles in canister launchers; two A50 Sylver vertical launch systems for the Aster 15 anti-air missile; and four MU90 light torpedo tubes.

Greece

The armament includes a Leonardo 76mm main gun, two quad-packed launchers for Exocet MM40 Block III, four Sylver A50 VLS for Aster 30 B1, a SeaRAM system, four torpedo launchers for MU 90 torpedoes, and CMLS decoy launcher for Canto torpedo decoys.

At DEFEA 2023, Lacroix confirmed the Hellenic Navy's choice to equip its frigates with the Sylena MK1 decoy launching systems.

The Greek frigates will reportedly be fitted with the Leonardo Lionfish 20mm instead of the Nexter Narwal 20mm.

Sensors and C4I

France

The FDI ships will feature the Thales Sea Fire radar, IFF Bluegate, Thales Altesse-H communication detector, the Sentinel radar detector, the Aquilon communication system, the iXBlue navigation centre, the KingKlip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar, the CAPTAS-4 Compact Independent towed array; and a Safran PASEO XLR. It is also expected that the ships will be fitted with the SETIS combat management system. The class will have an asymmetric warfare centre located immediately aft of the ship's bridge to collate 4K Day/Low Light EO images and IR data obtained via the central mast.

The ships will be fitted with the Stir EO fire-control system.

Greece

The Greek frigates will be equipped with the Thales Sea Fire radar, IFF Bluegate, Thales Altesse-H communication detector, the Sentinel radar detector, and fire control radar (Stir EO). Moreover, Greece's FDI frigates will feature Kingklip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar, the Captas 4 Compact towed-array sonar and Safran Paseo XLR.

Additional Equipment

An integrated mission management system is being developed to manage the mission of two embarked SEAQUEST-S USVs. There is space for two ECUME rigid hull inflatable boats, an NH90 helicopter and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The Hellenic Navy will use two Schiebel Camcopter S-100 on board FDI HN, which will be accommodated in a separate hangar from the MH-60R helicopter.

Technical Specifications

The FDI frigates are expected to have a displacement of 4,500t, measure 122m in length and have a beam of 17.7m. Powered by two MTU 16V 8000 engines, the ships will have a top speed of 27kt and a range of 5,000nm with a base-level crew of 111 personnel, which can be augmented with rotary staff to 125 at full complement.