Analysis
Analysis: the Bergamini frigates, why the Hellenic Navy wanted them so urgently and what they change against the Turkish fleet [video]
Analysis: The Hellenic Navy’s official programme on the Bergamini and Fasan FREMM frigates. What kind of ships they are, what they carry, what was signed in Rome on September 8, 2026 and what is still open for the Greek version.
The two frigates Carlo Bergamini and Virginio Fasan are not simply “second-hand ships” bought to fill a gap. They are the fastest way for the Hellenic Navy to get, within a few years rather than a decade, two modern 6,700-tonne frigates with AESA radar, Aster missiles and helicopters, before all the FDI HN frigates arrive and before the modernisation of the MEKO frigates is complete. That is also the message of the Navy’s programme “With Virtue and Daring” (“Me Areti kai Tolmi”), broadcast on ERT3 on September 20, 2026 under the title “Bergamini frigates: the ships that will make the Navy formidable” and posted on the official channel of the Hellenic Navy General Staff (HNGS).
The programme came two weeks after the signing in Rome, on September 8, 2026, of the implementing arrangement for the transfer of the two ships, which we covered the same day. It was signed by Greece’s General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA) and Italy’s General Directorate for Armaments, in the presence of the defence ministers, Nikos Dendias and Guido Crosetto, and the chiefs of the two navies, Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Dimitrios-Eleftherios Kataras and Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto. According to Fincantieri’s press release, the Italian company will play a central role in the transfer and will support the ships throughout their life cycle, while the agreement provides for participation of Greek industry in maintenance and in the integration of new systems. It was preceded by the “2+2” declaration of intent of September 2025 and by approval from the Government Council for National Security (KYSEA) in May 2026.
What kind of ships the Bergamini are
The FREMM (Fregata Europea Multi-Missione) is the joint Italian-French frigate programme, with the Italian version built by Fincantieri. Bergamini (F 590) and Fasan (F 591) entered service in 2013 and are the first two ships of the class. They displace about 6,700 tonnes, are 144.6 metres long, have a top speed of 27 knots and a range of 6,800 nautical miles at 15 knots. Their propulsion is CODLAG: electric motors for quiet cruising at low speeds, which counts for a lot in anti-submarine warfare, and an LM2500 gas turbine for high speeds.
The heart of the ships is Leonardo’s Kronos Grand Naval multifunction active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, together with 16 SYLVER A50 vertical launch cells for Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles, the same missile family the FDI HN frigates will carry, as we explain in our analysis of the Aster 30 B1NT. The two ships are not identical, however. Bergamini is the general-purpose version, with a 127/64 Vulcano gun at the bow and a 76/62 Strales. Fasan is the anti-submarine version, with two 76/62 guns and MILAS missiles, which carry an MU90 torpedo tens of kilometres and release it over the submarine. Both carry the UMS 4110 hull-mounted sonar, MU90 torpedo launchers and a hangar for two helicopters, and in Italian service they also use the CAPTAS-4 towed sonar, a relative of the CAPTAS-4 Compact on the FDI HN.
What remains open for the Greek version
Care is needed here, because many claims are circulating that have not been confirmed. The final Greek configuration has not been officially announced. It has not been settled whether the Italian Teseo anti-ship missiles will stay or be replaced, which helicopters will operate from the ships, or which systems Greek industry will integrate. According to reports in Italy and Greece, the total cost of the two ships is about €460 million, and deliveries are placed in the first half of 2028 for Bergamini and the first half of 2029 for Fasan, with no official announcement of the amounts and dates from the Greek Ministry of National Defence. The second part of the “2+2” also remains open, that is, whether two more units will follow.
What is certain is that the two FREMM will give the Hellenic Navy greater area air defence with Aster 30 and wider AESA radar coverage, reinforcing the four FDI HN, as well as a ship designed from the start for hunting submarines, at a time when the Turkish submarine fleet is being renewed with the Reis-class boats. That is the wager the Navy itself describes in the programme.
The programme is on the Hellenic Navy’s YouTube channel: “Φ/Γ τ.BERGAMINI: ΤΑ ΠΛΟΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΘΑ ΚΑΤΑΣΤΗΣΟΥΝ ΠΑΝΙΣΧΥΡΟ ΤΟ ΠΝ” (in Greek), from the “Me Areti kai Tolmi” series, September 20, 2026. Source: Hellenic Navy.
Frequently asked questions about the Bergamini frigates
Which FREMM frigates is Greece acquiring?
The Italian Navy’s Carlo Bergamini (F 590) and Virginio Fasan (F 591), which entered service in 2013. The implementing arrangement for their transfer was signed in Rome on September 8, 2026.
What is the difference between Bergamini and Fasan?
Bergamini is a general-purpose version with a 127/64 Vulcano gun. Fasan is the anti-submarine version, with two 76/62 guns and MILAS missiles that carry an MU90 torpedo.
What weapons do the Bergamini frigates carry?
In Italian service: 16 SYLVER A50 cells for Aster 15 and Aster 30, Teseo anti-ship missiles, MU90 torpedoes, 76/62 Strales guns (and a 127/64 on Bergamini), the Kronos Grand Naval AESA radar and a hangar for two helicopters. The Greek configuration has not been announced.
When will the FREMM arrive in Greece?
Bergamini in the first half of 2028 and Fasan in the first half of 2029, according to press reports.
How much do the two frigates cost?
Reports put it at about €460 million for the two ships. The figure has not been announced officially and does not necessarily include upgrades, weapons and long-term support.
