Greece in talks to buy two Carlo Bergamini-class frigates from Italy

Greece is in talks to buy two used Carlo Bergamini-class frigates from Italy, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said at a conference on Friday, as the NATO member seeks to modernise its armed forces.

The Carlo Bergamini-class, part of the Franco-Italian FREMM program, emerged in the early 2000s to replace Italy’s aging Maestrale- and Lupo-class frigates.

Designed by Fincantieri, these 6,700-ton frigates come in general purpose (GP) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variants, equipped with advanced radar, Aster missiles, and torpedoes. Italy planned ten ships, costing €5.9 billion, with deliveries from 2013 to 2024. In 2020, two were sold to Egypt, prompting orders for replacements.

Greece aims to spend 25 billion euros as part of a multi-year defense plan that will include the purchase of submarines, drones and the development of an anti-aircraft and anti-drone dome.

It already spends about three per cent of its GDP on defense, nearly double the EU average. It is also in discussions with France to buy a fourth French Belharra frigate armed with cruise missiles.

(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Edward McAllister)