Dendias: Greece plans to purchase fourth Belharra frigate

Defense Minister Nikos Dendias on Thursday announced Greece’s intention to start negotiations for the acquisition of a fourth Belharra-type frigate to forge ahead with a wide-reaching modernization program for a series of ships of the Hellenic Navy. Speaking at the shipyards of the Naval Group in Lorient in France during the launching ceremony for the Nearchos frigate (photo), Dendias said that an “impregnable surface wall” is being created in Aegean through the shipbuilding program for the four Belharra frigates, the modernization programs for the MEKO frigates, the Roussen-class missile boats and the country’s submarines, as well as the acquisition of four Island-class patrol boats. This “wall” will also be enhanced, he said, with Greece’s future participation in the design and subsequent construction of the new Constellation frigate, and its participation in the European corvette program.