Greece has taken another major step in the transformation of its naval capabilities, signing an intergovernmental agreement with Italy for the acquisition of two FREMM frigates of the Bergamini class.
The Implementing Arrangement was signed in Rome in the presence of Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto, turning a strategic understanding between Athens and Rome into a concrete procurement program.
The first frigate, Carlo Bergamini, is scheduled to be transferred to Greece in the first half of 2028, followed by the Virginio Fasan in the first half of 2029.
The reported cost of the two vessels is €460 million.
But the significance of the deal extends well beyond two additional warships.
Athens is beginning to define the structure of the Hellenic Navy for the next decade — and the combination of FDI, FREMM and modernized MEKO frigates could fundamentally change Greece’s surface fleet.
Dendias: “We Will Make Them Formidable”
Dendias made clear that Greece does not intend simply to receive the two Italian frigates in their current configuration.
“The FREMMs are high-specification units and, with the modifications we will make — which we are already discussing with their manufacturer, Fincantieri — we will make them formidable,” the Greek defence minister said.
He then outlined the emerging architecture of the future fleet.
“Together with the FDIs and the MEKOs, they will constitute the core of the Greek fleet’s power in the new era.”
That statement captures the strategic importance of the agreement.
Greece is not simply replacing aging ships. It is attempting to build a more powerful and technologically advanced fleet capable of operating not only in the Aegean but across the wider Eastern Mediterranean.
Greece Is Already Discussing Two More FREMMs
The next phase may already be taking shape.
Dendias confirmed in Rome that Greece is exploring the possibility of acquiring two additional FREMM frigates from Italy.
“I am also here to discuss broader cooperation with Italy — first of all, the possibility of acquiring another two FREMM units,” he said.
This is not yet a signed procurement decision, and the distinction is important.
But if Athens ultimately proceeds with another two ships, Greece could eventually field four FDI frigates and four FREMMs alongside its upgraded MEKO fleet.
That would represent a far more substantial transformation of Greek naval power than the acquisition of the first two Italian ships alone.
Why the Bergamini-Class Ships Matter
The FREMMs are not being acquired as a low-capability stopgap.
The class was designed for demanding blue-water operations and offers a combination of air defense, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and long-range deployment capabilities.
For Greece, these characteristics are increasingly important.
The Hellenic Navy’s operational environment no longer ends in the narrow waters of the Aegean.
The Eastern Mediterranean, the protection of energy infrastructure, freedom of navigation, maritime trade routes and Greece’s participation in NATO and European missions increasingly require ships with endurance, advanced sensors and sophisticated combat systems.
This is particularly relevant in the case of the Virginio Fasan, which was developed with a strong anti-submarine warfare orientation.
The precise final Greek configuration, however, will depend on the modifications negotiated with Fincantieri and on subsequent decisions concerning weapons and sensors.
FDI + FREMM + MEKO: The New Core of the Hellenic Navy
The real importance of the Italian acquisition becomes clearer when the FREMMs are viewed alongside Greece’s other naval programs.
The FDI frigates represent the technological spearhead of the modernization effort.
The FREMMs add large, highly capable and already operational vessels without waiting for an entirely new construction cycle.
The MEKOs, meanwhile, are expected to remain an important part of the fleet through a modernization program designed to extend their operational relevance.
Together, the three classes are intended to create a more capable surface fleet with greater reach and resilience.
It is a transition from replacing individual aging ships to redesigning the fleet as an integrated combat force.
The €460 Million Figure Is Not the Whole Story
The reported €460 million price tag makes the acquisition particularly attractive compared with the cost of constructing two entirely new high-end frigates.
Italy’s transition toward newer-generation FREMM EVO vessels has created an opportunity for Greece to acquire existing ships with significant remaining operational life.
But there is an important qualification.
The acquisition price should not automatically be treated as the final cost of bringing both ships into full Greek operational configuration.
Modifications, weapons, integration of Greek requirements, training, logistics and long-term support can add substantially to the overall program.
That makes the negotiations with Fincantieri particularly important.
Greek Shipyards Enter the Equation
Dendias also emphasized another pillar of Athens’ defense strategy: domestic industrial participation.
The agreement is intended to involve Greek shipyards and the wider domestic defense ecosystem in adapting and supporting the new vessels.
For Dendias, this is directly connected to Greece’s “Agenda 2030” defense reform.
“This dimension is an organic element of Agenda 2030, so that know-how remains in the country and creates Greek national productive capital,” he said.
The objective is to move away from a procurement model in which Greece simply purchases complete systems abroad.
Athens wants maintenance, technical expertise, integration work and a meaningful share of the economic value generated by major defense programs to remain inside Greece.
The real test will be how extensive that domestic participation becomes once implementation begins.
Greece and Italy See the Mediterranean as a Shared Security Space
The Rome agreement also carries a broader geopolitical message.
Greece and Italy are two major maritime nations positioned across the same strategic Mediterranean space.
Dendias explicitly linked the naval agreement to the security of sea lanes, freedom of navigation and the protection of commercial and energy flows.
“Greece and Italy are maritime nations. We share the same vital maritime space in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean,” he said.
The two countries also share an enormous interest in commercial shipping, giving maritime security a direct economic as well as military dimension.
Athens therefore wants the relationship with Rome to evolve beyond the traditional customer-supplier model.
The ambition is a longer-term defense partnership built around common strategic interests in the Mediterranean.
From the 2020 Maritime Agreement to the 2026 FREMM Deal
Dendias also placed the agreement within a wider trajectory in Greek-Italian relations.
In 2020, when he served as foreign minister, Greece and Italy signed an agreement delimiting their maritime zones.
In September 2025, Dendias and Crosetto signed a Memorandum of Cooperation and Declaration of Intent in La Spezia, laying the groundwork for deeper defense cooperation.
The Rome agreement now gives that framework tangible military content.
“From La Spezia to Rome, we honored our word. Today, that word becomes a concrete commitment,” Dendias said.
The symbolism matters.
Athens sees a progression from cooperation based on international maritime law to a broader strategic partnership involving defense capabilities, industrial cooperation and Mediterranean security.
The Real Objective: Deterrence Before a Crisis Begins
Two FREMM frigates alone will not determine the military balance in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Their significance lies in the larger force structure into which they will be integrated.
Combined with Greece’s FDI frigates, upgraded MEKOs and wider modernization programs, the Italian vessels form part of a strategy designed to increase operational reach, networking, surveillance and combat power.
That is what Dendias means when he speaks about strengthening Greece’s “deterrent capability.”
The ultimate measure of a successful defense procurement is not simply how effectively a warship performs once a crisis has begun.
It is whether its presence changes an adversary’s calculations before that crisis ever starts.
With the Carlo Bergamini expected in 2028, the Virginio Fasan in 2029 and the possibility of two additional FREMMs now openly under discussion, Athens is signaling that this is precisely the kind of naval deterrence it intends to build.
Source: pagenews.gr