France has began building the second FDI frigate for the Greek navy with a ceremony of the cutting of the first metal foil which took place at the Naval Group shipyard in Lorient, France, on Wednesday.
“The steel-cutting ceremony is an important step in the FDI HN program. The FDI frigates will contribute to strengthen the capabilities of the Hellenic Fleet and address the security challenges of the coming decades. The cooperation of the Hellenic Navy and Industry in the context of FDI program is just starting to take place and there are promising signs of a smooth and productive collaboration.” said Admiral Theocharis Chatzopoulos of the Hellenic navy.
The program for the purchase of three FDI frigates (plus one more provisionally) for the Hellenic Navy was signed on March 24. The cutting of the metal plate took place less than four months later, and while the first frigate is already in the production stage, it was noted in an announcement.
As mentioned by Naval Group, the ceremony took place in the presence of Naval Group's Hellenic Navy frigate program manager, Gilles Langlois, as well as Admiral Theoharis Chatzopoulos, commander of the Hellenic Navy echelon at Lorient.
“We are very pleased to be here in Lorient today to celebrate this first major industrial milestone in the production of the second frigate for the Hellenic Navy. We are proud to achieve this milestone more than three months ahead of schedule and fully committed to delivering the best frigates to the Hellenic Navy in the shortest possible timeframe.” said Gilles Langlois.
