Hellenic Navy Receives Its Second FDI Frigate Built by Naval Group

The Hellenic Navy has received the second of four Defense and Intervention Frigates (FDI HN) built by Naval Group. The second frigate, Nearchos (F602), differs from the lead ship, Kimon, by featuring enhanced combat capabilities associated with the Standard 2 configuration. Frigate HS Nearchos is the first frigate in Standard 2 configuration and it will be the first frigate to be delivered in Standard 2++ configuration in April of 2029. The third FDI frigate, HS Formion will be the first FDI HN frigate to be delivered in the “Standard 2+” variant in April 2027. The Kimon-class (FDI HN) frigates are expected to evolve progressively from their initial Standard 1 configuration towards the more advanced Standard 2++ configuration.My story for Naval News, here.

Hellenic Navy Conducts Inaugural SPIKE Missile Firings During Joint Drills with Israel

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, acceptance firings of SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER guided missiles were conducted in the wider northern Cretan Sea area. The exercise involved ships from the Hellenic Navy’s Frigate Command, Submarine Command, Fast Attack Craft Command, Surveillance Ship Command, and Underwater Demolition Command, as well as helicopters from the Hellenic Naval Aviation Command and Hellenic Air Force assets. They were joined by two fast attack missile craft from the Israeli Navy, which also conducted undisclosed missile firings during the drills, further enhancing operational interoperability between the two forces. Rafael SPIKE NLOS and SPIKE ER2 missiles were successfully fired from a Machitis-class patrol vessel and a Mark V Special Operations Craft (SOC), respectively. My story for Naval News, here.

Hellenic Navy Tests SARONIC’s Corsair USV Ahead of Major Order

The Hellenic Navy is currently testing a number of Corsair autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and has submitted a Letter of Request (LOR) to the United States for the procurement of at least 30 vessels to expand its unmanned maritime capabilities. On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attended the inauguration of the Joint Unmanned and Autonomous Maritime Systems Training Centre at the Palaskas Training Centre (KEPAL), part of the Hellenic Navy’s Naval Training Command. The facility is located at the Kanellopoulos Naval Base in Skaramagas, west of Athens. The event showcased several domestically developed systems that Greece is currently testing, supporting its ambition to become a European leader in autonomous platform development by 2030, as stated by the Minister of National Defence. However, the most notable highlight was a Corsair autonomous unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed by US company Saronic. According to a video released by the Ministry of National Defence (screenshots below), at least two Corsair USVs are currently in Greece undergoing trials with the Hellenic Navy. My story for Naval News, here.

Greece and Italy Ink Deal for Two FREMM Frigates

Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias traveled to Rome on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, where he met with his Italian counterpart, Guido Crosetto. The two ministers discussed the latest developments in the international and regional security environment, with particular emphasis on European defence, the strategic situation in the Mediterranean and the Western Balkans, and the need to further strengthen defence cooperation between Greece and Italy. During the meeting, Dendias and Crosetto oversaw the signing of an Implementing Arrangement between the Hellenic Republic and the Italian Republic, formally activating the programme for the acquisition of two Italian Bergamini-class (FREMM) frigates. The Implementing Arrangement follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Declaration of Intent concerning the acquisition of the Italian FREMM frigates, which were signed by Dendias and Crosetto in La Spezia, Italy, on September 29, 2025. My story for Naval News, here.

North Korea Commissions Second Choe Hyon-Class Guided-Missile Destroyer

On Sunday, September 6, 2026, the North Korean Navy commissioned its second Choe Hyon-class guided-missile destroyer, Kang Kon, in the eastern port city of Wonsan, in the presence of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kang Kon (52) was commissioned approximately two months after the lead ship of the class, Choe Hyon (51), which was officially commissioned on June 23, 2026. Two additional vessels of the class are currently under construction. Displacing approximately 5,000 tons and measuring 145 meters in length, the Choe Hyon-class destroyers are by far the largest, most heavily armed, and most advanced warships ever operated by the North Korean navy. Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his daughter, attended the commissioning ceremony alongside senior government and military officials. Remarkably, Kang Kon had previously capsized during its launch at the Chongjin Shipyard on May 21, 2025, yet entered service a little more than a year later. My story for Naval News, here.

Navantia Unveils F-110 Flight II / IAMD Frigate

Spanish shipbuilder Navantia revealed in Denmark a scale model of the F-110 Flight II frigate for the first time. Designated the F-110 Flight II for the domestic market and Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) for export, the enhanced variant builds on the baseline F-110 (Bonifaz-class of Spanish Navy) design with significantly increased anti-air warfare capabilities. Navantia is set deliver two F-110 Flight II frigates to the Spanish Navy in addition to five F-110 Flight I vessels, three of which are already under construction. Navantia unveiled the F-110 Flight II/IAMD at DALO Industry Days because it aims to propose this design for an upcoming frigate requirement of the Royal Danish Navy. The F-110 IAMD is a significantly enlarged and enhanced evolution of Navantia’s F-110 frigate, designed to provide increased air-defense and area air-defense capabilities while retaining the platform’s multi-mission character, including anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities. My story for Naval News, here.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Launches Second Landing Support Ship for Peru

On Tuesday, August 18, approximately one week after the launch of the first landing support ship / logistics support ship (Buque de Apoyo Logístico – BALOG) for the Peruvian Navy, B.A.P. Talara, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) successfully launched the second vessel in the class, B.A.P. Chimbote, in collaboration with Peru’s state-owned shipyard, SIMA Perú (Servicio Industrial de la Marina). B.A.P. Chimbote, launched this time, is actually the first of the two vessels to be built, which is why it carries pennant number “159”, while B.A.P. Talara, the second vessel, carries pennant number “160”. B.A.P. Chimbote and B.A.P. Talara are multi-purpose landing support ships designed to perform a wide range of missions, including the transport of personnel and cargo, logistics support, and disaster relief and emergency response operations. Both vessels are named after major Peruvian port cities. My story for Naval News, here.

Naval Group Offers Latest MP-OPV Design for Lithuanian Navy

On July 1, 2026, Naval Group and four Lithuanian research institutions signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) in Vilnius to establish SHIELD Lab, a maritime defence innovation laboratory supporting the Lithuanian Navy’s future capability development. The initiative, involving Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Klaipėda University, the Baltic Institute of Advanced Technology (BPTI), and the Center for Physical Sciences and Technology (FTMC), is part of Naval Group’s industrial cooperation proposal for Lithuania’s Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel (MP-OPV) programme. SHIELD Lab will focus on the Lithuanian Navy’s research priorities, developing a dedicated R&D roadmap for the future MP-OPV programme, advancing technologies for the international VANTAGE programme, and supporting other collaborative defence innovation projects. My story for Naval News, here.

EUROGUARD M-SASV Project Moves From Design To Reality With Hull Presentation

The European Defence Fund’s (EDF) €95 million EUROGUARD program has completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) and unveiled its 45-meter semi-autonomous prototype hull at the Baltic Workboats shipyard in Estonia. On May 21, 2026, EUROGUARD project marked a major milestone at the Baltic Workboats shipyard in Nasva, Estonia, hosting its Critical Design Review (CDR) alongside the prototype vessel hull presentation and a virtual system demonstration. Event brought together consortium partners and representatives of participating Member States, highlighting progress in one of the largest projects funded under the EDF. The review will validate the design of the EUROGUARD demonstrator, integrating advanced technologies into a modular, semi-autonomous maritime platform. My story for Naval News, here.