French shipbuilder Naval Group has started sea trials of the Hellenic Navy’s first Kimon-class frigate in Lorient, Brittany.
The exercise will see representatives from the company and the military evaluate the vessel on its intended functions before its official induction into the service.
Primary onboard capabilities to be observed in the initial phase include the ship’s navigation and propulsion systems.
The second stage will then be dedicated to its combat systems and operational endurance.
Next-Gen Surface Combatant
Greece’s Kimon frigate program supports the government’s broader strategy to sustain “maritime superiority” across the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming decades.
The incoming fleet is based on France’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention surface combatants being constructed simultaneously by Naval Group.
Additional solutions equipped on Athens’ warships are digital technologies that support future integrations and minimize dependency on mid-life upgrades.
Earlier in May, Naval Group partnered with a Greece-based company to explore interoperability between the vessels and autonomous systems.
Upon their arrival, the Greek frigates will undertake anti-air, anti-submarine, anti-ship, and special forces assistance tasks.
The state is scheduled to receive the first Kimon platform later this year and three more ships through 2030.
The Kimon frigates will be designated as the “Belharra” class once they enter the Hellenic Navy service.
Greece’s Kimon Fleet
A Kimon frigate measures 122 meters (400 feet) long and has the capacity for over 100 personnel.
It will be armed with Aster air defense missiles, Exocet surface missiles, RAM lightweight infrared missiles, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, and CANTO decoy countermeasures.
The system will have space for a maritime helicopter weighing 10 tons (20,000 pounds) as well as an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.
It will be powered by a 43,000-horsepower engine for a speed of 27 knots (50 kilometers/31 miles per hour), a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers/5,754 miles), and endurance of up to 45 days.
