Bulgaria’s First Modern Corvette Launched by Local Shipyard

On August 4, 2023, in Varna, the Bulgarian shipbuilder MTG Dolphin Shipyard PLC launched the first of the two new 2,300-ton corvettes / multi-purpose modular patrol vessels (MMPV) 90 for the Bulgarian Navy, under the management of the German shipbuilder NVL Group (formerly known as Lürssen Defence) which is the prime contractor of the project and with the involvement of numerous Bulgarian suppliers. The name of the new vessel will be “Hrabri”, meaning “Brave” in Bulgarian. It is a proud inheritor of the Bulgarian Navy’s torpedo boat of the same name from the beginning of 20^th century. The second ship will be named “Smeli“. The vessels, which are about 90 meters long (hence the designation MMPV 90) and with a beam of 13.5 meters, are being built under a contract signed with Germany’s NVL Group on 12 November 2020 valued at €420 million excluding weapon systems and ammunition. My story for Naval News, here.

Hellenic Army receives S1200 Armored speedboats

Viking Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas delivered the first batch of S1200 Armored speedboats to the Hellenic Army on 3 July. The four boats have been delivered under a framework agreement that was signed between the company and the General Directorate for Defense Investments and Armaments on 14 December 2021, for the procurement of 41 speedboats for the Hellenic Army Amphibious Raider Squadrons of Joint Special Operations Command. The agreement includes a seven-year initial follow-on support contract, and will see a second batch consisting of three boats delivered in early autumn. My story for Janes here.

Greece receives first Island class patrol vessels from the U.S.

On July 3, 2023 the first Island-class cutters, that were transferred to the Hellenic Navy by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), have arrived in Perama of Piraeus, Greece. Two more vessels will arrive in the coming weeks. The vessels were previously stationed in Manama, Bahrain (Naval Support Activity Bahrain) as a part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) to provide the US Navy 5th Fleet with combat ready assets. Greece becomes the 6th country to acquire Island-class patrol vessels for its maritime forces, after Pakistan (Pakistan Maritime Security Agency), Georgia (Georgian Coast Guard), Costa Rica (Costa Rican Coast Guard), Ukraine (Ukrainian Navy) and of course the United States. My story for Naval News, here.

Greek Shipbuilder Reveals New Special Operations Craft Designs

Some months after the successful introduction into service with the Hellenic Navy (ΗΝ) of Phi-Mechaniseas’s first Special Operations Craft (SOC) design AGENOR 18, also known as Agenor, the Greek company partnered with DIAPLOUS Group, a security, defence and crisis management group of companies, providing both maritime and land-based holistic risk management solutions on a global scale. The newly established DIAPLOUS PHI (founded in January 2023) is led by former senior naval officers, naval architects and marine engineers who bring together advanced naval engineering knowledge together with deep Special Forces operational expertise to the design and construction of SOCs, complemented by expertise in tactical mission and weapon systems. DIAPLOUS PHI aims to provide its customers with tailor-made and turnkey solutions taking into considerations their special requirements and needs. My story for Naval News, here.

New Multi-Purpose Ship Donated to the Hellenic Navy

The Greek shipowner and president of Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Panos Laskaridis is about to donate a new large multi-purpose ship to the Hellenic Navy. The ship, is yet another kind donation of numerous donations over the last two decades by Laskaridis and his family to the Greek Navy and the Coast Guard, which include weaponry, patrol vessels, auxiliary and training ships, repairs and upgrades of older vessels and lighthouses. The close connection of Panos Laskaridis with the Hellenic Navy and his multi-faceted contribution to it, affirms in the best manner the unbreakable bond between the Hellenic Merchant Marine and the Hellenic Navy as joint guardians of Greek naval power and seamanship. "Viking Vision" is the 5th ship Laskaridis donates to the Hellenic Navy. It will be renamed when entering service with the Navy. My story for Naval News, here.

Advanced Missile Decoys by Lacroix for the Hellenic Navy

The introduction of chaff discrimination seeking capability into modern anti-ship missiles has made chaff decoys obsolete. A new generation of decoys has emerged based on radiofrequency corner-reflector technology to counter this threat. Lacroix Defense is supplying this technology to the Hellenic Navy. After the official announcement by Lacroix Defense during DEFEA 2023 that the company’s decoy launching systems (DLS) and their ammunition will protect the future Greek FDI HN frigates, Naval News met with Renaud Thetiot, Lacroix Sales and Marketing Director, to learn more about their technology and capabilities. My story for Naval News, here.

Fincantieri reveals details of its FCx30 Corvette Proposal to Greece

During DEFEA 2023 in Athens, Naval News met with Dario Deste, Fincantieri’s General Manager Naval Vessels Division, to learn more about Fincantieri’s FCx30 proposal for the Hellenic Navy corvette program. The Italian shipbuilder competes with France’s Naval Group. Mr. Deste confirmed that Fincantieri and ONEX Elefsis Shipyards are in negotiations with the Greek government for 3+1 FCx30 corvettes which will be built in Italy (for the first-in-class ship) and Greece (for the following three). This is the design that has been selected by the Qatari Emiri Navy as Al Zubarah-class (known also as Doha-class); three of the four vessels in the class are already in active service since 2021. My story for Naval News, here. 

LIONFISH remote weapon stations (RWS) for the Hellenic Navy

Naval News revealed yesterday that the Hellenic Navy decided to equip its new FDI HN frigates with the Leonardo LIONFISH 20 new RWS. Today, we met Leonardo to know more about this new weapon system. LIONFISH is the new family of small caliber remote-controlled weapon stations (RWS). Designed and developed by Leonardo, the new line consists of four models that feature the most advanced technologies available on the market today, including Ultralight, Inner Reloading, and Top in 12.7 mm caliber and Model 20 in 20 mm caliber. Featuring a common architecture, the Lionfish family of turrets is characterized by a compact and lightweight structure. Their lightweight, compact dimensions and safe deployment make them an excellent choice for installation on small ships or as secondary armament on larger vessels. My story for Naval News, here. 

Greece’s FDI HN frigates: Naval Group reveals new details

Naval News obtained from Naval Group a new illustration that depicts in details the sensors which will equip the new Hellenic Navy (HN) defense and intervention frigates (FDI HN) as well as changes in the equipment. During DEFEA 2023 in Athens, Naval News met with Stéphane Fremont, Naval Group’s Vice President – Surface Combatant Programs. We discussed the new image in order to clarify some questions regarding the FDI HN configuration. My story for Naval News, here.