French naval prime Naval Group officially delivered HS Nearchos (F602), the second Defense and Intervention Frigate (FDI HN / Kimon-class), to the Hellenic Navy during a ceremony at the Lorient shipyard on October 30, 2026.
The ceremony was attended by Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin. Coming ten months after the delivery of the lead-in-class HS Kimon (F601) in December 2025, the handover of HS Nearchos marks the second of four FDI frigates ordered under the Franco-Greek strategic defense pact. The third hull, HS Formion (F603), is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026. The rapid procurement sequence introduces advanced anti-air warfare (AAW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities to enforce Hellenic maritime sovereignty across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: HELLENIC NAVY FDI HN (KIMON-CLASS) FRIGATE ARCHITECTURE
Program Governance, OEM Prime & Procurement Milestones
⚡ Shipbuilder & Systems Integrator: Naval Group (Lorient Shipyard, France)
⚡ Operational Operator: Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό — Fleet Headquarters, Salamis)
⚡ Class Designation: FDI HN (Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention / Kimon-class)
⚡ Vessel Name & Pennant: HS Nearchos (F602)
⚡ Delivery Schedule Baseline: HS Kimon (F601) [Dec 2025] → HS Nearchos (F602) [Oct 30, 2026] → HS Formion (F603) [Target: Q4 2026]
⚡ Industrial Cooperation: Involves a network of over 75 Greek defense industrial partners providing hull block construction, internal mechanical structures, and sovereign C4ISR components 
Hull Dimensions, Hydrodynamics & Survivability Profile
💥 Displacement & Dimensions: Full Load Displacement: 4,500 tonnes | Length Overall: 122 meters | Beam: 17.7 meters
💥 Inverted Bow Design: Inverted hydrodynamic stem (sea-piercing bow) engineered to maximize high-speed seakeeping performance, lower hydrodynamic wave drag, and improve dynamic sensor stability in severe sea states
💥 Propulsion Architecture: Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) configuration producing ~32,000 kW (43,000 hp) driving two controllable pitch propellers
💥 Speed & Operational Range: Max Speed: >27 knots | Cruising Range: 5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots | Accommodation: 125 crew + 29 aviation detachment / special operations personnel
💥 Cyber Security Architecture: Fully digitized warship architecture featuring isolated Digital Ship Operational Data Center networks to protect platform C2 systems against electronic and cyber attacks
Sensors, Guided Weapons & ASW Architecture
🚀 Multi-Function Radar Array: Thales Sea Fire 500 fully digital 4-panel fixed Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) GaN radar (360-degree continuous coverage, 300+ km surveillance range against aerial threats)
🚀 Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) Battery: 32-cell SYLVER A50 Vertical Launching System (VLS) firing Aster 30 Block 1 surface-to-air missiles (120+ km engagement ceiling against maneuvering air-breathing and tactical ballistic threats)
🚀 Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW): 2× 4-cell quad launchers carrying MBDA Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-ship missiles featuring coherent RF active seekers for littoral clutter discrimination
🚀 Sonar & ASW Suite: Integrated Thales Kingklip Mark 2 hull-mounted sonar paired with the CAPTAS-4 Compact variable depth sonar (VDS), coupled to 2× twin 324mm torpedo tubes firing MU90 Impact lightweight torpedoes
🚀 Naval Gunfire & Close-In Defense: 1× Leonardo 76/62mm Super Rapid main gun mount, 1× Raytheon RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) 21-cell CIWS launcher on the aft superstructure, and 2× Nexter Narwhal 20mm remote weapon stations
🚀 Aviation Deck: Stern flight deck and hangar capable of embarking a 10-tonne MH-60R Seahawk ASW helicopter and uncrewed rotary-wing aerial vehicles (VTOL UAVs)
TIMES OF DEFENCE ASSESSMENT
The formal handover of HS Nearchos to the Hellenic Navy within ten months of HS Kimon represents a rapid operational acceleration in NATO’s Southern Flank maritime posture. The procurement of four FDI HN frigates replaces aging Ellie-class (Standard-type) frigates, providing the Hellenic Armed Forces with a digital warship baseline capable of executing high-density anti-air and deep-water anti-submarine warfare.
From a naval engineering and strategic perspective, the FDI HN platform offers three key advantages:
1. **Four-Panel GaN AESA Radar Precision**: Operating the Thales Sea Fire 500 radar provides the Hellenic Navy with continuous, un-interrupted 360-degree tracking. Unlike legacy rotating mechanical antennas, the fixed four-panel AESA array tracks low-RCS anti-ship cruise missiles, low-altitude strike drones, and maneuvering aircraft simultaneously, providing targeting data to Aster 30 interceptors.
2. **Deep-Water Anti-Submarine Superiority**: Fusing the CAPTAS-4 Compact VDS with the Kingklip Mk2 hull sonar and acoustic processing suites gives the FDI HN frigate sub-surface acoustic coverage. Paired with onboard MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, the platform provides a submarine hunting screen capable of isolating critical choke points across the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.
3. **High-Rate Shipyard Throughput**: Completing two 4,500-tonne combat frigates within a 10-month window demonstrates Naval Group’s production rate under modular digital design frameworks. Delivering three major surface combatants within roughly one year gives Greece operational naval capabilities amid ongoing regional maritime security shifts.
