Greece welcomes first new frigate since 1998 as Belharra-class HS Kimon enters service.

Greece formally received the HS Kimon on January 15, 2026, as the first FDI HN Belharra-class frigate entered the Saronic Gulf and proceeded to Salamis naval base.

The HS Kimon, the first FDI HN Belharra-class frigate for the Hellenic Navy, arrived in Greece on January 15, 2026, following its delivery from France. The induction marks the first addition of a new frigate to the Greek fleet in 28 years and forms part of a four-ship naval modernization program, as the ship entered the Saronic Gulf and proceeded to join the Salamis naval base.
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The HS Kimon is equipped with a heavier air defense and anti-submarine fit than its French counterpart, carrying Aster-30 surface-to-air missiles in A50 vertical launchers, Exocet MM40 Block 3C anti-ship missiles, and MU90 lightweight torpedoes. (Picture source: Hellenic Navy)

The HS Kimon sailed into the Saronic Gulf shortly before noon and proceeded toward the Salamis naval base. The arrival completed the delivery voyage that followed the frigate’s handover in France and marked the first induction of a new frigate into Greek service in 28 years. HS Kimon is the lead ship of a four-vessel program that will add three further FDI HN frigates to the fleet in the coming years. The event was framed within Greece’s broader defense modernization effort launched in 2021, set against enduring tensions with Turkey and evolving security dynamics in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The welcoming ceremony outside Salamis brought together Greece’s political and military leadership, including Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of the Hellenic Republic Constantine Tassoulas, and National Defence Minister Nikos Dendias. The introduction of the ship was also associated with the leadership of the Hellenic Navy, including the chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice Admiral Dimitrios–Eleftherios Kataras. The reception was conducted at sea as the frigate entered Greek waters and approached its home base for the start of national acceptance activities. The sequence underscored the transition from delivery status to fleet integration, rather than the completion of operational readiness on the day of arrival.

Symbolic elements accompanied the ceremony, including the presence of a copy of an ancient Athenian trireme and the historic cruiser Georgios Averof, both positioned as part of the escort as HS Kimon approached Salamis. These elements linked earlier periods of Greek naval history to the current fleet renewal without altering the operational scope of the event. Government statements connected the frigate’s arrival to a wider rearmament trajectory that includes airpower acquisitions, with Greece having already ordered 24 Rafale fighter jets. The same framework referenced a stated plan to allocate €25 billion through 2036 for defense modernization, alongside concepts such as the integrated anti-missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-drone defensive structure known as Achilles’s Shield. Greece also reiterated its long-standing pattern of maintaining defense spending at or above NATO’s 2% of GDP benchmark, a posture historically linked to regional tensions.

HS Kimon’s route to Greece followed a defined sequence beginning with its naming ceremony and the raising of the Greek flag on December 18, 2025, at the shipbuilder’s facilities in Lorient, attended by Minister Nikos Dendias. After that ceremony, the frigate sailed to Brest with its crew of 128 personnel to receive its armament and to conduct the first full coupling of sensors, combat system, and weapon systems under operational conditions. Only after this phase did the ship begin its voyage to Greece, culminating in the January 15 arrival at Salamis. Following arrival, the ship entered an internal integration process that includes certifications, system tests, training in national procedures, and the gradual assumption of operational roles within the fleet.

The frigate displaces about 4,500 tonnes, has an overall length of approximately 122 meters, a beam of around 18 meters, and a draft suited to operations in both open sea and constrained maritime environments. Propulsion relies on a combined diesel and diesel arrangement with a total output close to 32 MW, allowing a maximum speed of about 27 knots and a range of roughly 5,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots. Endurance is estimated at up to 45 days, supporting long deployments without immediate logistical support. Electrical generation and digital architecture are sized to support sensor-intensive operations and future system growth. Aviation facilities include a flight deck and hangar capable of supporting an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter as well as one Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicle, extending the ship’s surveillance, targeting, and anti-submarine capabilities.

The frigate entered service equipped with more air defense and anti-submarine warfare systems than its French counterpart, the Amiral Ronarc'h, all of which are complemented by the Sea Fire radar. Its weapons suite includes Aster-30 surface-to-air missiles housed in A50 vertical launchers on the bow, Exocet MM40 Block 3C surface-to-surface missiles, and MU90 lightweight torpedoes for anti-submarine operations. Close-range and point-defense capabilities are provided by the RAM missile system, a 76 mm Oto Melara main gun, and two 20 mm Lionfish remotely operated weapon stations. This configuration reflects a layered approach to air, surface, and sub-surface threats within a single multi-role platform. The combination of sensors and weapons is intended to support operations in both the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Political leaders associated the frigate’s arrival with deterrence and force posture, describing HS Kimon as a platform capable of contributing to strategic deterrence and upgrading fleet capability in Greece’s primary maritime theaters. Prime Minister Mitsotakis linked the ship to a continuous modernization effort encompassing both equipment and personnel. President Tassoulas referred to the ship’s scope across surface operations, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare, electronic warfare, and self-defense, emphasizing multi-domain utility rather than a single mission focus. The broader narrative placed the FDI HN program within long-term planning that integrates naval platforms with other defense systems under the Achilles’s Shield concept. The ship’s name, Kimon, references a 5th century BCE Athenian admiral and son of Miltiadis, reinforcing continuity in naming conventions without affecting operational roles.

The arrival of HS Kimon also set the timeline for the remaining ships of the Belharra-class, with Nearchos and Formion scheduled to join the Hellenic Navy by the end of 2026 and the fourth vessel, Themistoklis, expected in 2028. With the lead ship now in Greece, near-term priorities center on testing, certification, crew training, and phased operational integration. The broader context reiterated alongside the event includes Greece’s ongoing aircraft procurement, its €25 billion modernization plan through 2036, and the emphasis on integrated air and missile defense against aircraft, missiles, and drones. Within this framework, HS Kimon represents the first delivered surface combatant of a multi-year naval recapitalization effort aimed at renewing fleet structure and readiness in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.