The defense ministers of Greece and France have signed a letter of intent that will pave the way for further talks about Greece’s acquisition of French-designed Belharra frigates.
French defense minister Florence Parly announced the document signing with her Greek counterpart Niko Panagiotopoulos on Twitter on October 10.
Belharra is the name assigned to the export version of the FTI (Fregate de Taille Intermediaire) medium-size frigates that will be built for the French Navy. The Marine Nationale has ordered a total of five units, with first ship delivery set for 2025.
Should the talks be successful, Greece would become the first customer for the Belharra frigate. A total of two ships for an estimated €750 million per unit are being eyed for procurement. The 4,000-tonne frigates feature an inverted bow design for greater stability at high speeds.
Media reports from earlier this year indicated that Greece also expressed its interest in buying used Adelaide-class frigates from the Royal Australian Navy.