The French army has ordered a fifth defense and intervention frigate from Naval Group, continuing the modernization of its fleet in the context of rearmament in Europe and increased tensions at sea, it announced on Thursday in a press release. Launched in 2017, the FDI program aims to strengthen the capabilities of the French Navy with versatile ships capable of intervening in high-intensity conflicts.
The first frigate, the Admiral Ronarc’h, was delivered in October 2025 and is currently deployed, while the following ones are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2032. The FDI is an advanced and versatile frigate that carries a helicopter, a drone, and commandos. It is able to defend against aircraft, track submarines, neutralize surface ships, and counter irregular threats such as drones or fast boats.
Designed for high-intensity combat, the frigates are equipped with Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles, Aster anti-aircraft missiles, MU90 torpedoes, 20mm and 76mm artillery. In air defense, its plate radar – as opposed to the traditional rotating radar – provides a constant 360 degree view, reducing reaction time against fast-moving airborne threats. Fully digital, each FDI has a secure and redundant data center hosting the necessary applications for their combat system operation. They have significant computing capacities to process information from various onboard sensors. The program is also available for export.
Greece has ordered four FDIs in recent years, amid rivalry in the Mediterranean, particularly with Turkey. The frigates destined for Greece will be able to fire 32 Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles, compared to only 16 for those planned for France. However, according to the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, the next update to the military programming law will eventually equip all five French FDIs with 32 silos. These additional silos will be gradually integrated during the planned maintenance operations of the ships, he emphasized in February during a meeting with the Defense Journalists Association (AJD).
