On Wednesday, 4 June 2025, the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attended the launching ceremony of Frigate “FORMION”, which took place at the “Naval Group” facilities in Lorient, France.
The Minister was accompanied by the Chief of Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Dimitrios Choupis, and the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN.
Mr. Dendias’s visit started with his official welcome by the Deputy Prefect of Lorient, Florence Bessy, at “Lann-Bihoué” Air Base. Subsequently, he went to the France Naval Detachment, where was briefed by its Commander, Captain Christos Michalitsis HN, on the FDI HN Frigate construction programme.
The Minister of National Defence then went to the “Naval Group” facilities, where he inspected the construction works of Frigate “KIMON”. In his address to the crew, Mr. Dendias stated:
“I am now addressing you from a ship that is now Greek. We have not raised the flag yet, but this will happen very soon in the following months. You are aware of the delivery schedule. The ship will be delivered to the Hellenic Navy within 2025.
It was glad to be informed by the Captain that the first trials were excellent, without problems. I would like to thank you for what you are doing here. We are very proud of you and can’t wait for KIMON to be inducted into the Hellenic Navy and reinforce our fleet.
Again, thank you for what you are doing, for the cooperation with NAVAL GROUP, as well as with the French Navy. Admiral, we are proud of what is happening here”.
The Minister then attended the launching ceremony of Frigate “FORMION”, the third “Belharra” type Frigate, which, together with Frigates “KIMON” and “NEARCHOS”, will reinforce the Hellenic surface fleet.
The ceremony was also attended by President Macron’s Special Envoy to Lebanon and former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the former Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, the Ambassador of Greece to France, Antonios Alexandridis, the General Director of the General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments, Major General Ioannis Bouras, and the Director of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Armaments Directorate, Rear Admiral Panagiotis Karavas HN.
French attendees included the Chief of Staff of the French Navy, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, the Deputy General Director of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) Alexandre Lahousse, the Director of the International Cooperation Directorate of the French Defence Procurement Agency Gael Diaz de Tuesta, the CEO of “Naval Group” Pierre-Eric Pommelet, the Executive Vice Presidents of “Naval Group” Marie-Laure Bourgeois, Vincent Martinot-Lagarde, and Véronique Page, members of the Lorient local government, Defence Attachés, etc.
On the occasion of his visit to Lorient, he had a private meeting with President Macron’s Special Envoy to Lebanon and former Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Jean-Yves Le Drian, with whom he signed the Greece – France defence cooperation agreement in 2021 in Paris. During the meeting, they discussed the security situation in Lebanon and the Southeastern Mediterranean, as well as matters concerning the Defence sector in the EU.
In his address, Mr. Dendias stressed the following:
“Mr. President and CEO of “NAVAL GROUP”, Mr. Pommelet,
Admirals,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a privilege and great honour to be here today in Lorient to attend the launching ceremony of the third FDI class Frigate for the Hellenic Navy.
Frigate “FORMION” – named after a great general of the Athenian Navy – fully embodies our commitment to security, technological innovation, and strategic cooperation between Greece and France.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The launching of “FORMION” is yet another great event in the effort to upgrade our country’s Navy,
following the launching of “KIMON” and “NEARCHOS”.
It confirms Greece’s adherence to the prevention of arbitrariness and the protection of our sovereignty.
The frigate is named after an Athenian admiral who led victoriously the Athenian fleet in a number of battles.
The Hellenic Navy is also today in the front line of the protection of the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Greece and Europe in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece has invested in strategic alliances and intergovernmental agreements.
The strategic alliance with France, which was implemented with the signing of the Mutual Defence Assistance Agreement, which I had the honour of negotiating and signing, on behalf of the first Mitsotakis government, on 28 September 2021 with the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of France (whom I kindly thank for this and for his presence here today), Jean-Yves Le Drian, guarantees stability in the region.
It is a landmark agreement. I would like to remind you that it includes a mutual defence assistance clause which fortifies our countries and Europe against any threats from the east.
With the FDI frigates, we build a reliable and powerful deterrent force which expands Greece’s strategic footprint in the Eastern Mediterranean.
It also confirms what this Government has always claimed, that it constitutes a pillar of security and stability, instead of instability.
We are two days away from the important, the very important anniversary of the Normandy Landings. In a peninsula just north of here, which also involved corvettes of the Hellenic Navy. It is a great opportunity for me to say that Greece’s tradition and history also live in its assistance to the French Republic, whenever it was necessary and possible. It is our tradition to side with Justice, against arbitrariness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
FDI frigates have an additional important capability, for the first time in Greek history, to incorporate strategic weapons and systems.
And within this framework, the General Directorate of Armaments of the Ministry of National Defence has almost completed the negotiations for the procurement of a fourth FDI frigate.
I believe that when we are here again to accept “KIMON”, as the Chief of the Navy said, there will be four frigates here in the simulation.
I briefed the Hellenic Parliament’s Armaments Committee yesterday on the matter. And last, but not least, what I truly applaud from the bottom of my heart is the participation of the Hellenic defence industry by 25% in the construction programme of the fourth frigate, which I hope our country will acquire, thank you Mr. Pommelet for accepting this 25% request.
I believe it is something we have repeatedly said during the course of his armament programme, Greece aspires to and will achieve an average participation of the Greek defence ecosystem by 25%. And this is just phase 1. Besides, “Naval Group” has accepted this 25% participation in writing by a letter from Mr. Pommelet.
But this 25% must be considered not just as part of a contract or a transaction. It is something completely different. It is the country’s effort to enter an environment of innovation and know-how from which it was absent.
And it is part of the “2030 Agenda”, the radical transformation of the Hellenic Armed Forces which aims at harnessing defence expenditure to create wealth, know-how, and innovation for our society.
In conclusion, I would like to thank for this opportunity first “Naval Group”, its officers and employees, for their efforts in the Hellenic frigate programme.
I would also like to thank the Hellenic Navy personnel (of “KIMON) with whom I met previously for their efforts which made this possible. Who enable Greece, together with their other colleagues in the Hellenic Navy and the Armed Forces in general, to protect itself, society, and Europe’s borders in the Mediterranean.
Not to provoke, but to guarantee. Within the framework of the social values of our European country, the values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, the protection of Human Rights, the rights of women, the rights of each and everyone to express their views freely in this single European area.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to thank you and your personnel for the exemplary cooperation within the framework of this programme.
Frigate “FORMION” is more than a warship: it is a breathing symbol of common defence, advanced technology, sovereignty, and common perception.
In this spirit, we are close to the conclusion of our talks on a fourth FDI frigate, thus establishing Greece’s strategic presence and our common contribution to the stability of the region.
Thank you”.
Addresses were also given by the CEO of “Naval Group” Pierre-Eric Pommelet, the Director of International Development of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) Gael Diaz de Tuesta, the Chief of Staff of the French Navy, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, and the Chief of Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN.
In a statement after the ceremony, the Minister of National Defence stressed the following:
“The launching of Frigate “FORMION” is a great event for the upgrade of the Hellenic Navy and the Armed Forces. Frigate “FORMION” is a symbol of technological progress, defence supremacy, and allied synergy between Greece and France.
Greece maintains its corresponding Power. Not to threaten, but to protect. Not to provoke, but to guarantee.
However, it is also important that, during the negotiations for the procurement of a fourth FDI type frigate in progress, “NAVAL GROUP” committed itself – by official letter – to a 25% participation of Greek companies in the construction of the fourth frigate.
We constantly prove that the goals we have set for Greece as a co-producer, even of advanced weapon systems, are feasible.
Domestic participation enhances Greece’s strategic goal to transform into a partner, rather than a mere customer, of the European defence industry.
I marks the transition from procurement to productive synergy and the transfer of know-how.
Thank you”.
Before departing from Lorient, the Minister of National Defence made the following statement to journalists:
“It is a great moment for our country, the Armed Forces, the Hellenic Navy, and me personally. We stand here, on the helicopter deck of the 3rd FDI Frigate “FORMION” and, just before, I had the opportunity to announce that we are very close to the conclusion of the negotiations for the acquisition of a 4th FDI Frigate, “THEMISTOCLES”.
What is very important is that this programme for the 4th Frigate fulfils another commitment. The participation of the Hellenic defence industry, the Greek ecosystem, by 25% in the programme. It is the first major armaments programme in which the Hellenic defence industry will participate by 25%. Thus, we transition from being mere customers and consumers to being co-producers of defence technology.
And I would like to tell everyone that this is only the beginning. With the help of this new perception brought by the “2030 Agenda”, with the HCDI and the funds made available through “ReArm Europe”, our country will be able to enter a new era. In this new era, it will be able, not only to develop its Armed Forces, not only to develop a robust defence innovation ecosystem, but also to bring growth, wealth, and jobs for the Greek society.
Thus, it will be able to help the highly qualified young Greek men and women who found themselves or stayed abroad, due to the previous decade’s crisis, return to our country and help in this great effort.
