On Friday, October 17, 2025, a formal handover ceremony was held at the French naval base in Brest, where Naval Group delivered to the French Navy (Marine nationale) the FS Amiral Ronarc’h (D660), the first of five next-generation Belharra-class guided-missile frigates being built under the FDI (Frégates de Défense et d’Intervention) program.
Photo: DGA
“The delivery of Amiral Ronarc’h, the very first frigate of the FDI series, is a major milestone for Naval Group. This new generation of first-rank multi-role frigates will soon enter the operational cycle and will thus help strengthen the resources of our French Navy thanks to its exceptional capabilities, already demonstrated during sea trials. We are fully committed to this large-scale programme, which we are proud to deliver for the French Navy,” said Pierre Éric Pommellet, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Naval Group, during the ceremony.
The ship was originally scheduled to be delivered between late 2024 and early 2025, but qualification trials did not begin until October 7, 2024. The vessel will now undergo operational testing, after which it will officially enter service with the Marine nationale in 2026.
The ship was ordered on April 20, 2017, by the French Defence Procurement Agency (Direction générale de l’Armement, DGA) for a total value of €3.8 billion under the FDI program, previously known as Frégates de Taille Intermédiaire (FTI). Steel cutting took place on October 24, 2019, the keel was laid on December 16, 2021, and the launch occurred on November 7, 2022.
Two subsequent ships, the future FS Amiral Louzeau (D661) and FS Amiral Castex (D662), were ordered on March 29, 2021, with deliveries scheduled for early 2026 and 2027. The final two frigates, to be named FS Amiral Nomy (D663) and FS Amiral Cabanier (D664), are expected to enter service in 2028 and 2029. Steel cutting for D661 took place in July 2023, the keel was laid in spring 2024, and the launch of the hull is expected in spring 2026.
Outside France, Greece has also chosen to procure frigates of this type. A contract for three FDI HN frigates plus one optional unit was signed on March 24, 2022 (the intergovernmental agreement was concluded on December 11, 2021) with a total value of approximately 5 billion EUR. The first frigate, HS Kimon (F-601), was launched on October 4, 2023 and has been undergoing sea trials since May 2025. Meanwhile, the second ship, HS Nearchos (F-602), was launched on September 19, 2024, and the third, HS Formion (F-603), followed on June 4, 2025. Deliveries are scheduled for 2025–2026. Under the optional clause, a fourth frigate, the future HS Temistokles (F-604), has also been ordered and will be delivered in early 2028.
Description
The FDI/Belharra-class guided-missile frigates measure 122 m in length, 17.7 m in beam and have a displacement of 4,250 t. According to the manufacturer, the frigate will reach a maximum speed in the 27–29 knot range, and at a cruising speed of 15 knots the ship’s range will exceed 9,200 km. The ship’s company will consist of 110 officers and sailors, plus 15 aviation personnel. The stern will accommodate one medium helicopter, the NH90 Caïman or its successor the Airbus H160M Guépard, and the Airbus VSR700 unmanned aerial system, together with a hangar. Additional equipment will include two 9.5-metre hybrid RHIBs.
In the French configuration the ships will be fitted with 16 Sylver A50 vertical launch cells for Aster 15/30 surface-to-air and anti-missile missiles. Other armament includes a 76 mm OTO Melara Super Rapid naval gun, two quad launchers for MBDA MM40 Exocet Block III/C anti-ship missiles, twin launchers for EuroTorp MU90 lightweight torpedoes, heavy machine guns and SYLENA DLS decoy launchers. Installation of a remote-controlled 20 mm Narwhal weapon module is also possible.
The electronic fit includes an X-band surface-search radar, the Thales SEA FIRE multifunction S-band radar, the Thales STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 electro-optical fire-control system, the Thales Kingklip Mk II hull-mounted sonar, the towed sonar CAPTAS-4 CI, the Thales Alenia Altesse-H communications and electronic-support system, the Thales BlueGate friend-or-foe (IFF) system, the integrated digital communications system Aquilon, Safran PASEO XLR electro-optical sensors, and satellite communications.
↪️Cette livraison fait suite à son départ de Lorient en septembre grand jalon du programme célébré en présence de @DG_Armement et @CEMM_FR
Le programme FDI piloté par la DGA a été lancé en 2017
Les 3 premiers bâtiments du programme s’inscrivent dans le cadre de la #LPM2024-2030
— Direction générale de l'armement 🇫🇷 (@DGA) October 17, 2025
Naval Group livre aujourd'hui une frégate de 1er rang prête au combat sur toutes les mers du globe : la FDI Amiral Ronarc'h, commandée par la @DGA , pour la @MarineNationale . pic.twitter.com/ZUNK4tsE1K
— Naval Group (@navalgroup) October 17, 2025
#Innovation | La FDI Amiral Ronarc’h vient d’être livrée par @Navalgroup à la Marine nationale ! 🚢
Prochaine étape : essais opérationnels en vue de son admission au service actif courant de l’année 2026. pic.twitter.com/URzcIpPPWq— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) October 17, 2025
Cette semaine dans nos unités ⚓
→ #Tir : Le Forbin intercepte une bombe A2SM avec un Aster 30 🎯
→ #Innovation : Livraison de la FDI Amiral Ronarc’h à Brest 🚢
→ #Cérémonie: 168 mousses reçoivent leur coiffe 🎓 pic.twitter.com/fpZXi3L4EG— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) October 18, 2025
