Greece hopes to conclude talks and sign an agreement to buy 2 Bergamini-class frigates from Italy by April, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said in an interview published on Sunday. Senior officials from Greece and Italy signed memoranda of understanding for naval cooperation last year, paving the way for Athens to acquire two FREMM frigates with an option for two more.
“We hope that the negotiations with Italy will be concluded and that we have signed (an agreement) for the acquisition of 2+2 frigates by April,” Dendias told a Greek newspaper.
Dendias said Athens is working to ensure that the frigates can also carry the next-generation ELSA missile. With this specification, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias refers to the fact that Greece also intends to equip Italian frigates – as for the newly acquired French FDI frigates produced and supplied by Naval Group – with the same next-generation long-range strike missile weapon systems intended to be developed within the framework of the Elsa (European Long-range Strike Approach) cooperation agreement between the Ministries of Defense of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Great Britain, to increase military capabilities, strengthen NATO’s deterrence framework and promote collaborative efforts in defense procurement and development across Europe, signed in 2024.
Greece plans to spend about 28 billion euros under a multi-year defense plan that includes the purchase of a fourth Belharra frigate from France and new submarines, in an effort to keep pace with historic rival Turkey. The Italian Navy will replace the first two frigates sold to Greece, the F-590 Bergamini and the F-594 Alpino, with the two new Fremm EVO currently under construction in Riva Trigoso (GE) by Fincantieri, keeping the 10 units in service.
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