Italy, Greece sign memorandum on frigate sale

​​​​​​​By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - Italy and Greece on Monday signed a memorandum on the future transfer of two FREMM-class frigates, currently in service with the Italian Navy, to the Greek Navy.

A statement from the Italian Defense Ministry said Defense Minister Guido Crosetto met his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, at the "Seafuture" exhibition on Monday at Italy’s La Spezia naval base.

Crosetto, whose remarks were included in the statement, said: "Italy and Greece share a long-standing friendship and strong cooperation within NATO and the EU. This cooperation in defense is crucial to addressing current and future challenges."

"No country alone can respond to crises and threats ranging from the conflict in Ukraine to tensions in the Middle East, from fragilities in Africa to issues in the Balkans. We need real synergy among allies who can turn shared values into shared capabilities," he added.

Crosetto emphasized, together with Dendias, the importance of strengthening the security of the Mediterranean and NATO's southern flank. "We are pleased that the national armament directors of the two countries signed a memorandum regarding the future transfer of two naval units belonging to the Italian Navy to the Greek Navy. This is a concrete example of how defense cooperation translates into collective security and regional stability," he said.

Dendias also posted on the US-based social media platform, X, that at La Spezia he discussed with his Italian counterpart, ways to develop defense relations between the two countries.

He added that they signed a letter of intent regarding naval cooperation and the procurement of Bergamini-class frigates from the Italian Navy.

- FREMM-class frigates

The FREMM (Fregata Europea Multi-Missione/Multi-Purpose European Frigate) program was developed by France and Italy in the early 2000s.

The frigates are in service as the "Bergamini" class in the Italian Navy and the "Aquitaine" class in the French Navy.

The Bergamini-class frigates built for Italy measure 144.6 meters (676.4 feet) in length and 19.7 meters in width, have a displacement of 6,900 tons, and use an electric-diesel propulsion system.

They can reach a top speed of 27 knots (31 miles per hour) and have a range of 6,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. The frigates feature low radar visibility, and their armaments vary depending on whether they are configured for general-purpose operations or anti-submarine warfare.

Under the FREMM program, Italy produced 10 Bergamini-class frigates for its navy between 2008 and 2024, including six general-purpose and four anti-submarine warfare frigates. Italy sold the last two general-purpose frigates in the series, Spartaco Schergat and Emilio Bianchi, to Egypt in 2020.

According to Italian media reports, the two frigates that Greece plans to acquire second-hand from Italy are the first general-purpose Bergamini-class frigate, Carlo Bergamini (F590), which entered service in May 2013, and the second frigate of the series, Virginio Fasan (F591), designed for anti-submarine warfare and commissioned in December 2013.

Besides Italy and France, FREMM-class frigates are currently operated by the navies of Egypt and Morocco. In 2021, Indonesia placed an order with Italy for six FREMM-class frigates.