Greece’s Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, will travel to Lorient, France, on June 4 to attend the launch ceremony of the third Belharra-class frigate, FORMION F-603, at the Naval Group shipyards. The event marks a key milestone in the strategic defense partnership between Greece and France. According to sources, French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu is also expected to be present at the ceremony, underscoring the significance of the occasion.
During his visit, Dendias is expected to formally announce Greece’s intention to procure a fourth Belharra frigate. A noteworthy aspect of this acquisition is that approximately 25 percent of the construction will involve co-production with Greek defense companies - an effort to deepen Greece’s role in advanced naval manufacturing.
However, the visit may yield even more consequential news. Talks are reportedly underway regarding a broader agreement between Greece and the French defense firm Naval Group that would allow for the domestic production of three additional FDI Belharra frigates at Greece’s Skaramagas Shipyards. If finalized, this deal could see Greek industry’s participation in the program rise to as much as 40 percent, signaling a substantial step toward bolstering the country's defense manufacturing capabilities.
Achieving this level of involvement would require close industrial cooperation between Naval Group and key Greek players such as the Skaramagas Shipyards and METKA. It would also entail specialized training for Greek technical personnel, which is expected to take place at Naval Group’s facilities in France during the construction of the fourth frigate.
In parallel, preparations are underway to upgrade the infrastructure of Greek shipyards to enable them to handle the construction of these highly advanced warships.
