Italy and Greece have signed a memorandum paving the way for the transfer of two FREMM-class frigates from the Italian Navy to Greece.
The agreement was announced after Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto met his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, at the Seafuture exhibition in La Spezia on Monday.
Crosetto said Italy and Greece share a long-standing partnership within NATO and the European Union, and underlined the need for joint action in dealing with global and regional challenges. He highlighted that no country can respond to crises alone, pointing to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, instability in Africa, and tensions in the Balkans.
The minister described the memorandum as a tangible step in strengthening security in the Mediterranean and NATO’s southern flank, noting that it reflects how defence cooperation can support both regional stability and collective security.
Dendias, in a post on X, confirmed that the two sides had also signed a letter of intent on naval cooperation and the procurement of Bergamini-class frigates from Italy.
FREMM-class frigates
The FREMM (Fregata Europea Multi-Missione) project was launched by Italy and France in the early 2000s, producing a multi-role frigate for both navies.
In Italian service, the ships are known as the Bergamini class, while in France they are designated the Aquitaine class. Measuring 144.6 metres in length and nearly 20 metres in width, they displace around 6,900 tonnes. Powered by an electric-diesel propulsion system, they can reach 27 knots and operate up to 6,000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 15 knots.
The class has a low radar profile and can be configured for either general-purpose or anti-submarine operations. Italy built 10 of these frigates between 2008 and 2024, selling two to Egypt in 2020.
Italian media have reported that Greece is set to acquire the Carlo Bergamini (F590), the first of the class commissioned in 2013, and the Virginio Fasan (F591), an anti-submarine version delivered later that year.
FREMM-class vessels are also in service with the navies of Egypt and Morocco, while Indonesia has ordered six ships from Italy.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Israel for a two-day visit aimed at strengthening relations between the two countries. The diplomatic ...
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a “golden age” for America in his first second-term State of the Union on Tuesday evening, delivering the lon...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 25th of February, covering the latest developments you need to...
A F-16 fighter jet of the Turkish Air Force crashed near a highway in western Türkiye early on Wednesday (25 February), killing its pilot, officials ...
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was temporarily evacuated from The Lodge to safety on Tuesday night after an alleged bomb threat linke...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 25th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was temporarily evacuated from The Lodge to safety on Tuesday night after an alleged bomb threat linked to upcoming performances in Australia by Shen Yun, a U.S.-based classical Chinese dance and music company banned in China.
At least 30 people died and hundreds were displaced in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state on Tuesday (24 February) after relentless, record-breaking rainfall triggered landslides and flash floods.
President Donald Trump delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term to Congress on Wednesday (25 February), declaring that America’s “golden age” had begun and that the country was experiencing a “turnaround for the ages.”
Seven people were killed after gunmen ambushed a police patrol in Kohat, a district in Pakistan’s north-west near the Afghan border, on Tuesday, in an attack that comes amid rising militant violence and heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Taliban in Kabul has rejected Russian claims that more than 23,000 militants from around 20 international terror groups are currently operating within Afghanistan.
Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the war is no longer defined by shock but by scale.
Four members of Syria’s Internal Security Forces were killed and two others injured on Monday (23 February) in an attack by the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist group targeting a checkpoint west of Raqqa in northeastern Syria, the Interior Ministry said.
Central Asia’s population could reach 96 million by 2040, according to the head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), highlighting both the region’s economic potential and the growing strain on infrastructure, trade routes and long-term development models.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared a “golden age” for America in his first second-term State of the Union on Tuesday evening, delivering the longest-ever address at more than 90 minutes. Here are the main takeaways.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 25th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was temporarily evacuated from The Lodge to safety on Tuesday night after an alleged bomb threat linked to upcoming performances in Australia by Shen Yun, a U.S.-based classical Chinese dance and music company banned in China.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) on Tuesday (25 February) accused the United Kingdom and France of actively working to provide Ukraine with nuclear weapons. The allegations were swiftly rejected by both London and Paris.
President Donald Trump delivered the first State of the Union address of his second term to Congress on Wednesday (25 February), declaring that America’s “golden age” had begun and that the country was experiencing a “turnaround for the ages.”
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment