Greece continues its rearmament and will purchase two Italian Fremm frigates

Athens continues to strengthen its navy. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Sunday that the government council for defense and foreign affairs had approved the purchase of two Italian Bergamini-type frigates, the Italian version of the Fremm program.

The Greek government did not communicate the amount of the operation but indicated that this decision was part of a broader strategy of modernization of the armed forces. At the same time, Athens also plans to modernize its MEKO frigates built with the German TKMS group and to invest in new encryption systems to strengthen the security of military communications.

This announcement is part of a movement undertaken for several years by Greece in order to strengthen its strategic posture in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Athens has become one of the main European clients of the defense industry. In 2021, the country ordered 24 Dassault Rafale aircraft as well as three French FDI Belharra frigates as part of a defense agreement with France, before adding a fourth unit.

The country is also carrying out a twelve-year program to transform its armies, worth around 25 billion euros, including in particular the development of “Achilles Shield”a future integrated anti-missile, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system.