By Ahmet Gencturk
ATHENS (AA) – Greece is considering taking part in the Constellation-class frigate program of the US Navy, the country’s Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced on Monday.
Dendias said at a press conference following his meeting with Vasilis Palmas, the Greek Cypriot administration's defense minister, that the country is in talks with the US about joining the program.
“On January 16, we received a letter from the US Navy accepting, in principle, our interest in the co-design and co-production of the seven advanced Constellation-class frigates in Greek shipyards,” Dendias said.
“Therefore, based on this proposal, if there is an agreement, Greece could participate in this program right from the beginning, in the design phase,” he said.
This would be a significant step forward for both the Greek Navy and the domestic shipbuilding industry, he remarked.
The Constellation-class multi-mission guided-missile frigates of the US Navy are based on the joint Italian-French FREMM type frigates, which are already in service with the French, Italian, and Egyptian navies.
In 2020, the US Navy announced that it had selected a FREMM variant for its new Constellation class of 20 frigates.
Concerning the transfer of LCS-type warships to Greece by the US under the Excessive Defense Article (EDA) scheme, which was mentioned in US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's letter to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday, he said it is being reviewed by competent authorities in Athens.
Commenting on the US State Department's approval to Greece for up to 40 F-35 jets for $8.6 billion, he said it is too early to discuss the specifics, including the acquisition's eventual cost.