Belh@rra digital frigates: Greece's new superweapon

The term digital Belh@rra was not given by the French of the Naval Group shipbuilding giant as it will soon be the most modern warship that will sail in the Mediterranean and beyond.The French have designed and implemented a naval weapons platform with leading high digital European technology from start to finish. It is these characteristics that were discerned by Greek Navy officers in the mid-2010s when the company presented the ship and from their vast experience they realized that it could be a superweapon for the wider region.First and foremost and in the construction part it is typical that every part of the ship, even the last screw is designed digitally with detailed analysis as well as the construction of the metal and other parts without any deviation even by the smallest fraction of a millimeter. The workers at Mevaco or the Salamina Shipyards who have undertaken the construction of parts of the ship are well aware of how precise the design and construction is. After all, this is the original reason why the a in the name was replaced with @, wanting to show the digital footprint of the frigate.

Sea Fire 500: The heart of the frigates

Beyond that, however, even in the operational part, the ship makes a difference first and foremost with the integrated sensor network PSIM (Panoramic Sensor Intelligence Module), which essentially constitutes its heart, the advanced anti-submarine warfare sonar, type CAPTAS-4 and the Sea Fire 500 full digital radar.The result is to achieve permanent 360-degree surveillance in a range of up to 500 kilometers. In fact, it will be the first frigate to sail and have inherent protection against cyber attacks, equipped with two data-centers that host almost all the ship's applications. Essentially anything flying within the massive range area will be able to be targeted and engaged by the ship's weapons systems.Something that, in combination with the rest of the armament, gives it the characteristics of a strategic weapon with truly impressive capabilities, which few Armed Forces have, for this reason these frigates are characterized as multiple role ships.All this combined with a displacement of approximately 4,500 tons and a maximum speed of 27 knots, a crew estimated at 120 people and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

Multi-role frigates

The frigates will be able to carry out complex missions in the Aegean as well as in the wider "hot" region of the Eastern Mediterranean and will essentially be a power multiplier for the Navy and the Armed Forces in general.However, since their primary role is to provide air defense in the area, the frigates will carry Aster 30 missiles with a range of 120 kilometers, enhancing their anti-ballistic capabilities. The first frigate "Kimon" will have 32 cells and the remaining 24 to 28 missile launch cells.The armament will be completed by an advanced 76 mm cannon, as well as a RAM close air defense system with21 missiles, which completes the anti-aircraft and anti-missile shield of the ship.In addition to sophisticated anti-aircraft capabilities, it will also have superior anti-submarine capabilities, thanks to its CAPTAS-4 variable depth sonar and MU-90 anti-submarine torpedoes.It should be noted that the frigates will be supplemented with the state-of-the-art MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters that Greece recently purchased from the US.In terms of anti-ship armament, it will include 8 of the most advanced Exocet MM40 Block 3C missiles, capable of striking at distances of 200 kilometers, while at the same time they are capable of hitting coastal targets. All of the above will be coordinated by the modern battle management system SETIS. The system will provide the operator with great decision-making and combat management capabilities.

Superweapon with SCALPs
All of the above weapons will result in the Hellenic Navy, for the first time in its history, having ships that will be able to engage and shoot down aerial targets at very long distances, while they will also be able to offer protection against ballistic missiles.However, as the Minister of National Defense announced from Lorient, three of the four frigates (Nearchos, Formion, Themistocles) will also be able to carry the long-range Scalp Naval surface-to-surface missiles, capable of hitting strategic targets.The addition of the missiles was part of the 12-year Long-Term Defense Equipment Planning.

 The powerful Cruise missiles which are the naval type of Scalp missiles that can hit targets such as armored installations and high-value strategic infrastructure at great depth, up to 1,000 kilometers and with great accuracy and will literally turn frigates into superweapons.With the combination of the Scalp Naval, the Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles and the rest of the weapons systems, the Belh@rra frigates will essentially form a powerful area air defense platform with the ability to launch long-range missiles from the Aegean or the Eastern Mediterranean at huge distances.