Greece is targeting an agreement by April for the acquisition of Italian Bergamini-class frigates as Athens moves ahead with a broader effort to modernize its naval capabilities.
Greek Defense Minister, Nikos Dendias, said the government hopes to conclude negotiations with Italy and sign a deal for two frigates, with an option for two more, in what would mark a significant step in the country’s long-term defense planning.
The proposed agreement follows memorandums of cooperation on naval defense that senior Greek and Italian officials signed last year, laying the groundwork for Athens to pursue the acquisition of two FREMM frigates, with the option to expand the order later.
Greece steps up its naval strategy
The Bergamini discussions form part of a wider push to strengthen the Hellenic Navy as Greece continues to invest heavily in its armed forces. For Athens, adding the Italian-built frigates would reinforce its maritime posture in the Eastern Mediterranean while deepening defense cooperation with another major European partner.
The negotiations also fit into a broader procurement strategy to equip the navy with more advanced platforms and greater operational flexibility. If Greece finalizes the agreement, the ships will join an increasingly ambitious modernization effort that already includes French defense systems and future submarine acquisitions.
Bergamini frigates and the ELSA missile plan
Dendias also said Greece wants the frigates to carry the next-generation ELSA missile, a program that reflects Europe’s growing focus on long-range strike capabilities.
ELSA, short for European Long-range Strike Approach, is a European development initiative focused on a future long-range strike weapon for deep-attack missions. Greek officials have linked the project to the next generation of naval strike capability and have indicated that they also intend to use it on the country’s Belharra frigates.
Public descriptions of the program suggest a range of more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), although the missile remains under development and its final operational specifications have not yet been publicly established. If Greece integrates the system into the Bergamini frigates, it will significantly increase their strategic value and give the country access to a future European long-range precision-strike capability.
Greece includes Bergamini frigates in €28 billion defense plan
The frigate negotiations fall within a much larger military spending program. Greece plans to spend around €28 billion ($32 billion) under a multiyear procurement strategy that includes new weapons systems from France and the acquisition of new submarines.
That spending plan highlights the scale of Athens’ current defense ambitions, with naval power playing a central role in the country’s long-term security strategy. The addition of Bergamini frigates would further strengthen that effort and complement other major procurement decisions already underway.