The Hellenic Navy has been looking for many years to acquire French vessels, first FREMMs in the FREDA version, then FTIs, perhaps supported by Gowind2500 corvettes. And it has been years that, faced with the financial difficulties of the country, France has failed to offer a satisfactory financial and industrial package in Athens.
It is to the point that, for many French industrialists, Greece is no longer considered as a potential partner, and we will therefore not be surprised by the information according to which Naval Group did not participate in the last working meeting. between the French and Greek authorities regarding a proposal for the sale of 2 FTI, for € 1,3 billion.
But while France procrastinates with a market that it takes for granted, the Americans are gaining power, and are even on the verge of eliminating all French chances. Indeed, Greece was offered two used Australian Adelaide-class frigates to quickly strengthen its naval power against Turkey.
However, these buildings are offered at an attractive price, €180 million, but without ammunition. And that’s where Lockheed steps in, with a proposal based on LCS. Because if Greece chose to acquire the 2 Adelaides, it would have to acquire, at the same time, the munitions for the buildings, for an amount estimated at €350 million. And Lockheed proposed a building capable of implementing these weapons, the LCS, in particular the efficient but expensive SM2.
In fact, if Athens reached an agreement regarding Australian frigates, Paris' hopes of selling its frigates to the Hellenic Navy would have ended. In addition, several other countries are in the running to offer solutions to Greece, first and foremost Germany and Italy…
[…] to replace the Adelaide-class frigates, the 3 Hobart-class destroyers are simultaneously derived from the heavy frigates […]