The cost of purchasing the French FDI HN frigates is generally a major achievement of the Navy, which managed to reduce the final price of the ships by about 200+ million euros compared to the initial offers. As we have written many times, the price reduction was for four reasons :
From the geopolitical and economic developments due to the AUKUS agreementFrom the reduction of price due to non-construction in Greece (construction in a shipyard with a ready production line has obviously lower costs)Due to the removal of critical subsystems and weaponsDue to marginal Follow On Support , limited cost (small fraction of what PN wanted)
As a result, the French frigates came close enough in price to the Dutch, American and British proposals (which of course did not ask for similar discounts), and in fact came to have the same price, perhaps a little lower, than the Italian one. The French turned the disadvantage of not building in a Greek shipyard into an advantage, offering 2 ships from the French order for faster delivery, while a third was added afterwards.
We need to be clear. According to our latest information, the first two ships that the Navy will receive are purely "French", ie they are the basic version of FDI . These ships, we will call them Batch I (to be able to distinguish them), will be delivered to our Navy as ordered by the French Navy. This means that they will have:
2 8-cell Sylver A50 launchers, ie 16 ASTER 30 missiles8 MM40 Block 3c anti-ship missiles1 Super Rapido 76 mm cannonCANTO torpedo countermeasures2 Narwal cannons of 20 mm
These ships, according to the contract, and if there are no delays in the production line (problems with the 1st ship, force majeure, etc.), will arrive in Greece in 2025. Delivery in 2025 was what bent any reservations of the political leadership, to order ships that will not be built in Greece . It is also what the PN leadership proposed as a replacement for the Interim Solution (which the other proposals had).
In the middle of the construction of the two ships, the company Naval Group, will complete the redesign of the class, and will add some additional systems that our Navy wants. The integration of our PN wishes into the original FDI Standard I, will create the FDI HN (or rather the FDI Standard II)
The FDI HN (FDI Standard II) , will be a frigate that will be close enough to a really powerful warship, like what our Navy wants. But let's see what it also includes:
Two more A50 Sylver launchers, ie a total of 4 x Sylver A50, for 32 ASTER LauncherRAM 21cell, above the helicopter hangarChaffs and Flares (absent from Batch I)
Before starting any protests, let's say that the contract submitted to the Parliament includes the subsequent conversion of the first two FDI Standard I to FDI Standard II in Greece , probably at the Salamis Naval Base. There, the two additional A50 launchers will be installed, with 16 ASTER 30 in addition, as well as the RAM. Until then, the manufacturer must have integrated the RAM in SETIS, and the system must be plug n 'play.
To prevent the "classic" question of our friends, ECM system is not provided anywhere in the contract, as it is impossible to contract something non-existent . The PN chose not to take the risk of committing to an ECM that does not exist, and to order it when it is ready and tested. So, it's too late to see a complete EW Suite on board. Also, as there have been many and varied discussions about ESM , we have to say that it will be the Standard and not an Extended version . Therefore, it was good to hear about the "next generation ESM", but to know that in fact the band coverage is MEKO200HN.
The IRST is also absent from the order (the optical systems are not integrated in the CMS, they just transfer an image), while there is also no unmanned helicopter (VTOL UAV) in the contract or the possibility of integrating it in the CMS. Finally, we do not know what effect the installation of 2 additional A50 launchers, 16 ASTER 30 missiles and a 21cell RAM (due to extra weight) will have on the ship's performance. The top speed of 27 knots was calculated by computer simulation for the FDI Batch I at half fuel. Now, with full load, there may be a reduction, something that the French themselves have admitted, while it is also reflected in the contract (since it mentions a maximum of 25 knots).
The two Greek FDI Standard I are expected to be upgraded to Standard II by the end of 2028 (the quorum will be 2027 Greece) . By then, they will be well-equipped enough to take on active duty, strengthening the Fleet's air defense. Each ship that will be received will come with a full battle load.
We have not been able to clarify the amount of the deposit. If there is no change the French will take, an amount that will reach about 900 million with 1 billion euros (with some milestones), an amount high enough, if one thinks the program will be repaid before all the ships are received. However, if we look at the contract, in 2022 the French will receive almost 1 billion euros.
So after 2028, our Navy will have, fortunately, 3 FDI Batch II frigates . Somewhere there we can logically say that we will have the first IOC of ships (Initial Operational Capability, initial operational readiness), as we believe that the ships from 2025 to 2027 will be used by the Ministry of Defense for training , but also to resolve any problems. We are not talking about ships of the "Averoff" era, we are talking about a state-of-the-art ship that needs a high level of specialization.
The PN, in the meantime, must order RAM Block 2B missiles , in sufficient quantities, for the armament of the RAM launchers, as well as to find a solution for the installation of a modern ECM. The French, on our last visit to Lorient, told us that the development of such a system would begin , with a possible upgrade of the basic ESM. We admit that we have heard it clearly, but it is not certain that it will happen, as here we must say that the FDI in French service is a ship for low-intensity conflicts .
Let us not forget that French ships do not even have chaffs or flares, which means that they are not intended to be developed in environments where there will be a serious threat of anti-ship missiles . Therefore, perhaps the Navy should immediately begin the investigation for the installation of an ECM system in the next flagships of the Fleet . It does not mean a modern warship, with such operational value as not having new technology interceptors.
At the same time it should proceed to the selection of a VTOL UAV, which, however, as we have said, will of course be able to transfer an image to a control station on board, but will not be integrated in the CMS.
Το κόστος της αγοράς των γαλλικής κατασκευής φρεγατών FDI HN είναι κατά γενική ομολογία ένα μεγάλο επίτευγμα του ΠΝ, που κατάφερε να μειώσει την τελική τιμή των πλοίων κατά περίπου 200+ εκ. ευρώ σε σχέση με τις αρχικές προσφορές. Όπως πολλές φορές έχουμε γράψει, η μείωση της τιμής έγινε για...
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