The ceremony was attended by Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the French Navy, representatives of the DGA, and Pierre Éric Pommellet, chairman and chief executive of Naval Group. The frigate is the second of five FDI vessels ordered for the French Navy.
In the coming days, Naval Group teams will install the Panoramic Sensors and Intelligence Module, known as PSIM. The integrated mast is designed to provide advanced technological and operational performance.
Naval Group said building the PSIM in parallel with the hull helps secure testing activities and reduces production time by about five months. The frigate’s first sea trials are expected to begin in 2027, with delivery planned for the end of that year.
Deliveries of the remaining three French Navy FDI frigates are expected to continue through 2032. Naval Group is also building three additional FDI frigates for Greece, following delivery of HS Kimon in December 2025.
Two of the Greek vessels are scheduled to be delivered to the Hellenic Navy by the end of 2026. The programme reflects Naval Group’s ongoing series production of the FDI class at Lorient.
“Today, we are celebrating an important milestone for the FDI programme with the launch of the second French FDI, alongside our partners, the DGA and the French Navy, whom we thank for their trust,” said Pierre Éric Pommellet, chairman and chief executive of Naval Group.
“This second frigate for France will strengthen the French Navy’s fleet in support of its superiority at sea,” Pommellet added.
Naval Group said investments at the Lorient site have created modern industrial infrastructure for designing and building naval vessels in series. The company said its industrial organisation allows the yard to optimise construction times and deliver two ships per year.
The FDI is described as a first-rank multi-role frigate with capabilities in anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, anti-surface and asymmetric warfare. Naval Group said the ship can operate independently or as part of a fleet against current and emerging threats.
The frigate is designed to counter threats including latest-generation submarines, supersonic missiles, cyberattacks and asymmetric challenges. It incorporates digital and data-processing technologies, with a compact design intended for operations in varied environments and rough seas.
The FDI is a 4,500-tonne-class frigate measuring 122 metres in length and 18 metres in beam. It has a maximum speed of 27 knots and an endurance of 5,000 nautical miles or 45 days.
