Hellenic Future Frigate - HF2
| DE | TKMS | MEKO A200NG (MEKO A300) |
| FR | Naval Group | FDI/Belharra |
| IT | Fincantieri | FREMM |
| NL | Damen | Sigma 11515 |
| UK | Babcock | Type 31e / Arrowhead 140 |
| USA | Lockheed Martin | MMSC |
The Greek side set as a prerequisite the participation in the construction of frigates and domestic shipyards (most of the countries involved want the assistance of the Elefsina shipyards but the government also wants the participation of the Scaramanga shipyards which was looking for the right investor) as well as the participation of Greek construction companies for the individual parts of the weapons and electronic systems that would be placed. The proposals from France, the Netherlands and Germany initially did not include work in Greek shipyards. In addition, the new improved French proposal for the Belharra did not include the SCALP Naval, which was a critical resource for the selection of the French proposal.
The goal of the Ministry of Defense was to have reached the final selection by the end of June 2021. According to some information, in terms of the operational part, at the top of the relevant list were the French, German and Dutch proposals, having very small differences between them, with one being superior or behind the other in individual areas examined. From there on, the rest of the proposals followrd, including the American one, which at the operational level did not seem to impress the Ministry of Defense. All indications were that the prime minister's announcement favored the American frigates MMSC, as there was a clear reference to the American funds that would be invested in the Elefsina shipyards. One of the scenarios of the proposal to build 4 MMSC frigates in Greece, foresaw the development of a frigate in Wisconsin, USA, where there was experience in building ships of this type and transfer of know-how to Greek shipyards where three more would be built. In practice, this means that a part of the money that would be invested, would return to the country in the form of know-how but -mainly- with the offer of employment of workers in the shipyards. In fact, it was leaked from the American side that if the issue with the Elefsina (and Scaramanga) shipyards was clarified, the first MMSC frigate would most likely be delivered to the Navy in 2023.
Berlin offered the MEKO 200 and MEKO 300 frigates, successors to the existing MEKOs in the Greek fleet which have proven to be reliable. As an intermediate solution, Greece was offered the choice from older frigates and corvettes presently in German service. The Germans also promised favorable terms for the construction of two more Type 214 "Papanikolis" class submarines. On 28 May 2021 Naval Group submitted as part of the French Team with MBDA and Thales a new offer for the modernisation of the surface fleet of the Hellenic Navy. The French Team’s offer was a comprehensive package designed to ensure Greece has the best capabilities in the shortest timeframe with optimised costs and includes: 4 FDI HN - the most modern frigate – 3 built in Greece and the 1st in service by 2025 along with a Gap filler solution of 2 frigates available in early 2022; the modernisation of the MEKO frigates in Greece; and an ambitious Hellenic Industry Participation (HIP).
The first FDI HN would be delivered in 2025 meaning that the needs of the HN would be addressed very quickly and Naval Group offers a risk-free solution for the construction of the 3 other FDI HN in Greece, by Greek shipyards, on time, and with the same quality and performances as the first of class. Construction of the 1st frigate in France would ensure operation by Greece in the shortest timeframe and secure the transfer of technology to allow construction of 3 frigates in Greece. They are willing to give us the exact same type of frigate currently being built for the French Navy at the Lorient shipyard. If we accept their offer, they are willing to give Greece the first frigate in early 2025, the second in 2027, the third in 2028 and the fourth in 2029, with the last three ships being built in the shipyards of Greece.
In addition, the French offer includes a Gap filler solution, also available in the shortest timeframe since the 2 Anti-air warfare (AAW) and Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) frigates would be delivered to Greece in 2022 within the frame of the proposal. The frigates are still in service with the French Navy.
It was noteworthy that while in the past there had been reports that Greece was preparing to build corvettes of Israeli design and American interests in the Greek shipyards, the prime minister made no mention of this option. The issue had arisen after the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Israel, where, according to the information published, he signed an agreement for the construction of an Israeli corvette design in Greece. This was the "Themistoklis" corvette, which would be undertaken by ONEX Shipyards at the Syros shipyards.
On 05 June 2021, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis chaired a meetingby Greek on procedures for evaluating proposals for the acquisition of new frigates. A proposal was accepted for further evaluation for five countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. Spanish shipbuilder Navantia and its F110 Frigate offer were not selected.
The Hellenic Navy requested a procurement of four new frigates, but the need was so urgent that they required a “stop-gap” solution with the procurement of second-hand vessels or a lease of existing vessels) as well as an upgrade to the in-service Hydra-class frigates.
The Navantia proposal consisted of:
- Four new F110 frigates,
- An interim solution consisting of delivering two new Alfa 3000 light frigates in only 35 months,
- the modernization of the Greek Navy’s Hydra class frigates.
Unlike some of its competitors, Navantia’s stop gap solution did not consist of second-hand ships but of new ships. The Spanish shipbuilder’s proposal was to provide two brand new 3,000-tonne light frigates with anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-submarine capabilities.
The existing MEKO would be put in a long immobility until the maintenance-upgrade works are completed. The Naval Staff has already conducted autopsies and has formed an opinion on the condition of the preferred used warships. Through the reports of the ranks of the navy who saw the used material up close, what emerges was that close to the Greek data and the operational requirements are the used "M" of the Dutch Navy.
France offered FDI HN frigates (the so-called Belh@rra) could be equipped with 4 Sylver 70 (A70) launchers, if the Greek Navy so wishes. This practically means that with these launchers the strategic Scalp Naval missiles with a long range of more than 500 km could be launched. The French offer the first new frigate relatively soon in 2025 and production of the other three in our country, while giving Greece free and 2 Cassard-class frigates as an "intermediate solution" from 2022, one anti-submarine and one anti-aircraft.
Germany had not clarified its official position but there are speculations about the K130 corvettes. The United Kingdom, together with the four new frigates, had proposed the Type 23 frigates as an intermediate solution. The Italians, in addition to the new FREMM, included Maestrale class frigates in their proposal.
The data was somewhat complicated with the United States, since some ships are linked by the Americans to the revision of the Athens-Washington defense agreement. In the first place, together with the four new frigates, the Americans are giving Greece the decommissioned Perry class frigates and the newer Freedom class frigates, which a few months ago were revealed to have a problem with the propulsion system. Through the MDCA, the Americans have noted that they place the Ticonderoga in the frame for the Navy, as well as Island-type amphibians.
The Ministry of Defense had requested from the beginning that the Arleigh Burke destroyers be given to us as "intermediate solution" ships. But it seemed that the US Navy did not have the ability to give them to Greece. However, information indicated that the possibility could not be ruled out that the American proposal would be accompanied by another combined offer from Washington, which would even involve reinforcement in another "weapon" with the aim of making it even more attractive.
The Dutch proposed the "M" type frigates, which are the next generation of the existing "Standard" type frigates of the Greek fleet. These frigates are much closer to the needs of the Greek Navy, as Officers have said many times. Navy Officers in both internal meetings at the Ministry of National Defense and meetings with the political leadership have repeatedly pointed out the problems that have accumulated in the fleet and have pointed out that adding additional problems was a disproportionate burden, particularly costly.
Discussions at the Ministry of National Defense intensified by early June about the possibility of disconnecting the intermediate solution from the four new frigates requested by the PN. It was absolutely clear that the Navy considered that the "M" type frigates that the Netherlands intended to release, with the possibility of expansion to the same type of Belgians, are an opportunity not to be missed, regardless of which new construction units were selected.
The choice of the maximum speed of a frigate depends on many factors such as operational requirements and missions that the ship would be called upon to carry out, the technical characteristics of the ship in combination with its performance, the estimated material costs of the selected type of propulsion and so on. Modern frigates have a maximum speed starting at 25 knots. High maximum speed was relatively easy to achieve on small displacement frigates while on large frigatesis usually necessary on ships escorting aircraft carriers as drastically increase their speed during the landing and take-off process. The increase of the ship's speed increases exponentially and not proportionally total required power of the propulsion system, and then the cost of implementing the propulsion system of the ship itself, while at the same time it has high operating costs.
The Navy's priority was the best and most cost-effective operational requirements, which in the case of the new frigate leads to a large ship displacement of 6000 tonnes. The speed of 26 knots that has been specified for this ship refers to the maximum continuous speed at 85% of the maximum power of the system propulsion in test conditions, so that the ship can reach a speed of 27 knots at 100% of maximum power.
This above speed covers the requirements of the Navy for the missions that would be assigned to the new Navy frigate as a multi-role frigate, as decided by two different decisions of the Supreme Maritime Council (SNC) in the years 2008 and 2009. The decision of 2008 approved the Study of Business Requirements and Performance Specifications of the new frigate of the Navy while the 2009 decision approved a maximum speed of at least 27 knots for the new frigate that were to have been built through a Transnational Agreement between the Governments of Greece and France, as formed after negotiations of the interested parties.
Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos pointed out, answering a parliamentary question regarding the process of evaluating the proposals for the frigates of the Navy, "in any case, the submitted proposals are evaluated in terms of completeness, achievability and the total time required for the completion of the project".
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