Greece’s Kimon frigate arrived at Piraeus port for the first time on Friday, formally joining the Hellenic Navy fleet after being deployed near Cyprus in response to rising regional tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The warship was positioned near Cyprus after reports surfaced about drone threats aimed at British sovereign military bases on the island. That mission was also the vessel’s first operational patrol in the eastern Mediterranean, coming as the latest Middle East conflict intensified.
The ship had been received from French manufacturer Naval Group at the Salamina naval anchorage in January, the first time in 28 years that such a warship entered Greek service. As the first Belharra-type, or FDI, frigate in the Hellenic Navy, it is viewed as a significant addition to national deterrence in the Aegean Sea and the eastern Mediterranean.
Macron set to tour Greece’s Kimon frigate on Saturday
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron are expected to visit and tour the vessel on Saturday. Macron’s trip is tied to plans for renewing the bilateral defense agreement that Greece and France signed in 2021.
The Kimon frigate strengthens Greece’s naval posture with a displacement of 4,603 tonnes and a length of 121.6 meters (399 ft), a beam of 17.7 meters (58 ft), and a draught of 6.2 meters (20 ft).
Four MTU diesel engines running on a combined diesel and diesel system deliver 32,000 kilowatts (43,000 hp) of power.
The ship reaches a top speed of 27.5 knots (31.6 mph), covers 5,000 nautical miles (5,754 miles) at 15 knots (17.3 mph), and can stay at sea for 45 days. Its crew consists of 110 sailors and around 15 air crew members.
Layered weapons and advanced sensors define Kimon’s combat reach
Sensors include a Thales Sea Fire active electronically scanned array radar, Kingklip Mark 2 hull-mounted sonar, and CAPTAS-4 towed array sonar. Sylena Mk1 decoy launchers carry CANTO anti-torpedo decoys for protection.
Its weapons include an OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid gun in a stealth cupola, two Leonardo Lionfish 20 mm remote weapon stations, and eight Exocet MM-40 Block 3c anti-ship missiles.
Air defense relies on Sylver A50 vertical launch systems for MBDA Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, plus RAM Block 2B surface-to-air missiles. MdCN missiles provide land-attack capability, while two dual torpedo tubes carry EuroTorp MU90 torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.
The frigate supports one MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one Schiebel Camcopter S-100 unmanned aircraft.
