Greece has taken delivery of the first of four advanced frigates from France, which Greek officials say symbolises its navy entering a “new era”.
The handover ceremony for the F601 Kimon took place on Thursday in the western port city of Lorient and was attended by Greece’s Defence Minister Nikos Dendias.
“We are witnessing proof of the strategic relationship between Greece and France that also bears my signature,” Dendias said.
“It is not just the delivery of an exceptional ship, but the entry of the Armed Forces and the Navy into a new era.”
Dendias thanked the French government and described bilateral relations as “very warm.”
Greece agreed to purchase three Kimon vessels in September 2021 as part of a €3 billion defence package.
Athens has the option for a fourth, which was approved by parliament in summer and formally agreed with Paris in November.
The Greek flag was raised on the new frigate and will be fully integrated into the Greek navy and operational in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean in 2026.
Commenting on Greece’s ambitious defence procurement programme in Brussels, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the handover as “a moment that should make all Greeks proud.”
“I am at the European Council today but I believe that the heart of Greece beats a few kilometres from here, at the Lorient shipyard, where the Greek flag will be raised on the first of the four Belharra frigates.”
The Kimon is due to sail to Brest where its weapons systems, including Exocet Block III anti-ship missiles and Aster 30 air-defence missiles, will be installed and is expected to arrive at the Salamina Naval Base near Athens at the start of 2026.
Greece upgrades defence capabilities
Greece signed a new defence agreement with France in April to acquire 16 Exocet anti-ship missiles, the latest in a series of arms purchases aimed at enhancing the country’s military capabilities.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias signed the deal in Athens alongside his French counterpart, then Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, during a visit to the Greek capital.
While the ministers did not disclose the value of the contract, it marks a continuation of Greece’s growing defence ties with France.
“Greece does not threaten, but is threatened,” Dendias said in a joint statement to the press, referring to Greece’s fraught relationship with Turkey, with whom it has long-standing disputes over territorial boundaries in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean.
The missile acquisition adds to Greece’s broader modernisation programme, launched after years of defence spending cuts during the 2010–2018 financial crisis.
Previous procurements from France include 24 Rafale fighter jets, while Paris is also supplying NH-90 military helicopters.
Athens plans to invest €25 billion over the next decade to modernise its armed forces.