PARIS \u2014 On the first day of the biennial Euronaval trade conference here last month, France\u2019s new defense minister Sebastien Lecornu made sure to meet with Greece\u2019s vice defense minister, Nikolaus Hardalias, at the Hellenic pavilion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a reason for the special attention. Paris has aggressively pursued increased ties to Athens\u2019 military in recent years, including signing a strategic partnership in 2021, and it succeeded in netting a contract in March <\/b>to build three new frigates for the Hellenic navy. But other nations, including the United States, United Kingdom, and others are also building new partnerships with Greece, and companies at Euronaval showed concerted interest in courting the nation for shipyard partnerships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A major program to recapitalize Greece\u2019s corvette fleet has recently stalled, Defense News has learned. But that hasn\u2019t stopped the competitors from signing new contracts with local suppliers to shore up support once the program moves forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France\u2019s Naval Group, the Netherlands\u2019 Damen, the UK\u2019s Babcock, Italy\u2019s Fincantieri, and the United States\u2019 Lockheed Martin have all thrown their hats into the ring for the corvette replacement effort. But the Greek navy has for now put the program on pause, Jonathan Walton, Babcock\u2019s vice president of business development for marine and technology at Babcock International Group, told Defense News Oct. 20 at the company\u2019s booth at Euronaval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Babcock had proposed its Arrowhead 140 frigate \u2014 the basis for the Royal Navy\u2019s Type 31 frigates currently in construction \u2014 for Greece\u2019s frigate replacement program, initially, and now the corvette replacement. The British shipyard had also initiated agreements \u201cin principle\u201d with local suppliers in Greece to sweeten the deal, said Walton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Requests for comment to the Greek Ministry of Defense on the status of the corvette program were not returned before publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France\u2019s Naval Group has proposed its GoWind 2500 multipurpose corvette for the Hellenic Navy. The company is slated to build three new Belharra-class FDI HN (fr\u00e9gates de d\u00e9fense et d\u2019intervention for the Hellenic Navy) frigates and an optional fourth, out of its shipyards in Lorient in the north of France, due for delivery in 2025 and 2026. The company announced Oct. 21 the first FDI HN block was laid down in dry dock, launching the assembly phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the FDI HN program launched in March, Naval Group has signed about 20 contracts to reinforce relations with Greek shipbuilding industry partners, including seven at Euronaval during the meeting between the two defense ministers. Those agreements extend to efforts outside of the FDI program as well as future projects, and include on-site job training as well, the company said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy, the United States, and the Netherlands are also working to woo the Greeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lockheed Martin vied for the frigate construction program alongside Naval Group, and for a time was pursuing options to nab a contract to build several additional ships. That letter of agreement has since expired, company officials told reporters Oct. 19 at the Euronaval conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company is continuing to make inroads with the Hellenic shipbuilding industry to develop \u201can indigenous design for a smaller vessel, Corvette sized,\u201d as well as an integrated combat system, said Joe DiPietro, vice president and general manager for naval combat and missile defense systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Lockheed is continuing to pursue a contract to upgrade Greece\u2019s four Hydra-class MEKO frigates, said Dawn Brenner, business development director for small combatants and ship systems. The U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin offered a bid in December 2021 that was due to expire the following March. The offer was extended to September, however, and has since been extended a second time, to December, at the request of the Hellenic Navy, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This letter of agreement would involve the integration of Lockheed Martin\u2019s suite of products centered around the Aegis combat management system (CMS), namely putting the COMBATSS-21 CMS on the MEKO frigates, alongside Lockheed\u2019s Mark 41 vertical launching system and Sikorsky\u2019s MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. Greece has committed to buying seven MH-60 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin at the end of 2023, according to Mark Zavack, head of Sikorsky international business development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n