Naval Group has launched the third Kimon-class frigate of the Hellenic Navy at the western French seaport of Lorient.
The milestone was the HS Formion’s (F-603) first water contact, transitioning the vessel to its final phase of outfitting before delivery to Athens.
It also received its integrated steel mast and the Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module, which will support enhanced mission command and 360-degree constant surveillance at sea, Naval News reported.
Construction of the ship is part of a 2022 modernization program to employ up to four modern surface combatants under Greece’s military, with the entire fleet based on the French Navy’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention or Belharra-class.
The event in Lorient followed the start of sea trials for the initiative’s lead platform, the HS Kimon (F-601), last May. It is expected to enter service later this year, followed by the induction of the Formion in early 2027.
The construction phase began in 2022 and is scheduled to run until 2028.
The Kimon Surface Combat Ship
The Greek navy’s Kimon-class system is designed to assist in multi-domain warfare, special force operations, and manned-unmanned teaming tasks.
Its arsenal includes Exocet surface missiles, RAM lightweight infrared missiles, Aster air defense missiles, MU90 anti-submarine torpedoes, and CANTO decoy countermeasures.
The vessel can travel up to 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 kilometers/5,754 miles) with a top speed of 27 knots (50 kilometers/31 miles per hour), powered by a 43,000-horsepower engine.
It has an endurance of up to 45 days and accommodation for more than 100 sailors, a naval rotorcraft weighing 10 tons (20,000 pounds), and an unmanned vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.
