«Kimon», the first FDI HN «Belharra» class frigate - of the four that will join the Navy in the coming years - will sail today at noon (just before 12:00 pm) in the Saronic Gulf to the Salamis Naval Station.
The arrival of the «Kimonas» marks the new era in which the Navy is entering.
The frigate has state-of-the-art digital air defence systems - as well as Sea Fire radar - and stands out for its anti-submarine power.
Among the systems carried by «Kimon», the Aster-30 anti-aircraft missiles for the A50 launchers mounted on the bow, the Exocet MM40 Block 3C surface-to-air missiles, the MU90 torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare operations, the RAM missiles, the 76 mm Oto Melara gun and the two 20 mm Lionfish remote-controlled machine guns stand out.
Moreover, as both the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias and the Chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Vice Admiral Demetrios - Eleftherios Kataras, have repeatedly pointed out, the ‘Kimon« is a ship capable of offering strategic deterrence and to significantly upgrade the strength of the Greek fleet in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is recalled that on December 18, at the shipyards of the manufacturer in Lorian, France, the naming ceremony and raising of the Greek flag on the frigate ‘Kimon« took place in the presence of the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias,
Since then, «Kimon» with a crew of 128 people sailed to the city of Brest, where it received its armament and the first full coupling of sensors, combat system and weapon systems in real conditions was implemented.
Then, the frigate started her journey to Greece and after her arrival at the Salamis Naval Station, the internal process of joining the fleet will start.
The process includes certification, testing, training in national procedures and the gradual assumption of roles.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas and the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias will attend the on-board welcoming ceremony of the first Greek FDI HN ‘Belharra«.
N. Dendias: We welcome «Kimonas» the first Greek frigate Belharra, symbol of a new era for the Navy
The battleship «Averoff», the trireme «Olympias» and six ships of our Fleet welcome in the Saronic Gulf the «Kimonas», the first Greek frigate Belharra, symbol of a new era for the Navy and the National Defence, said the Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias via X.
