Naval Group and NAFS, the managing company of the Skaramangas Shipyards of the shipowner Giorgos Prokopiou, announced the partnership for the building of the Gowind corvettes in Greece as part of the Hellenic Navy’s program.

The content of the agreement was presented in the context of a special session on Greek-French defence cooperation at the DEFEA 2023 exhibition in Athens.

According to today’s announcement, Pierre Éric Pommellet, CEO of the Naval Group, and Giorgos Prokopiou, on behalf of the Skaramangas Shipyards, emphasize the strength of their collaboration and their strong plan aimed at restoring a reliable production capacity of warships in Greece, initially implemented in the exclusive local production of the Gowind corvettes.

According to the information, as part of the cooperation between the two parties, the building of two corvettes and the option right for another one are foreseen.

The Partnership Agreement between NAFS and Naval Group highlights the proactive approach of the parties, the strength of their strategic partnership, and their contribution to the revitalization of shipbuilding capacity in Greece.

Naval Group has a unique and proven experience in the Transfer of Technology (ToT), which will benefit the Hellenic Navy and Greek industry and also guarantee the timely delivery of Gowind® HN warships.

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The ToT proposed at Skaramangas Shipyards is broad and aims at a complete production cycle of all corvettes to be built in Greece from slab cutting to delivery, through blocks building, equipment, commissioning, and testing for the platform and the combat management system.

This will create an efficient and robust Greek capability, allowing additional ships to be built with full autonomy, supporting the Gowind® HN and the ships of the Hellenic Navy in general. Beyond the scope of the defence industry, this cooperation will benefit the maritime sector more widely.

The acquisition of the assets of the Scaramanga Shipyards has been finalized and the exclusive companies that will exploit the civil and military activities have been established. In the latter, NAFS and the Naval Group are working together to upgrade the shipyard’s capabilities in order to ensure the delivery schedule of the corvettes.

Since the beginning of the Hellenic Corvette project, Naval Group’s approach has been guided and shaped by the following key factors:

• A strong program of Greek industrial participation with a clear goal of exceeding – for the Corvette program – 30% of the return for the Greek industrial ecosystem, with the creation of highly skilled jobs in Greece.
• Restoration of full autonomy in Greece for shipbuilding and subsequent support of warships, with access to other markets.
• Maximum commonality and interoperability between Gowind® HN and FDI HN.
• Superiority in all areas of military operations.

Through this strategic partnership, Naval Group and NAFS reiterate their full commitment to Greek Industry through the Gowind® HN program in the interest of the Hellenic Navy.

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