For the moment, all so -called first -row ships implemented by the Greek navy, namely the frigates of the Elli and Hydra classes, are armed with antavarian missiles Harpoon, of American design. This is not the case with his fast attack stars, these having exocet MM-40 B2/3 French … and it will not also be that of his three future defense and intervention frigates [FDI ou Belharra] since they will each have eight exocet MM-40 B3C, of recent design.
Indeed, in March 2022, the Greek Ministry of Defense notified a contract in MBDA to acquire not only MM-40 B3C but also also ASTER 30 B1 missiles. An option was planned in case a fourth FDI is ordered. At least, that’s what had been suggested at the time.
However, MM-40 B2/3 should soon be replaced. Thus, this April 14, receiving his French counterpart, Sébastien Lecornu, in Athens, the Greek minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, confirmed the order of sixteen exocet MM-40B3C, for an amount that was not specified.
“We have just signed an agreement between states for the supply of 16 exoceet missiles,” said the Greek minister at a press conference given alongside Mr. Lecornu.
As a reminder, compared to the previous versions of the Exoceet, the MM40 B3C is equipped with a digital radio food and a new active electromagnetic self-director, which improve its capacities against the latest generation electronic countermeasures and “stealth” ships. With a range of 200 km, it can fly at 2 meters above sea level in “Sea-Skimming” mode. “Draw and forget”, it is able to “discriminate” the targets.
-In addition, the project to acquire a fourth FDI was once again mentioned by Mr. Dendias. “We already have close cooperation which includes the three Belharra and a discussion around the acquisition of a fourth,” he said. “This fourth frigate […] will have strategic weapons, that is to say cruise missiles [navals ou MdCN] “He said.
“The file of the fourth frigate is advancing,” confirmed Mr. Lecornu. It remains to be seen when the contractual negotiations will be finalized.
Furthermore, Mr. Dendias welcomed himself with having had a “fruitful and sincere counterpart in his French counterpart in his French counterpart in the context of our long -standing traditional links, our common values, our common confidence and our mutual respect”. And this while the subject of the long-range meteor air-to-air missiles likely to be sold by the United Kingdom to Turkey has been able to throw a shadow on relations between Athens and Paris, despite the strategic defense agreement that has been linked to them since 2021.
“We have confirmed the evidence, that Greece and France are allies and close friends, that they share the same perception of developments in Europe and in our region in the broad sense,” continued the Greek minister.
And to add: “Greece is always confident in the fact that France will take into account in its decisions the security of Greece and the need for our country to maintain a dissuasive technological advantage against the forces of revisionism [comprendre : la Turquie, ndlr] ».
