Defense. France orders a fifth defense and intervention frigate from Naval Group

The French army has ordered a fifth defense and intervention frigate from Naval Group, continuing the modernization of its fleet in a context of rearmament in Europe and increased tensions at sea, it announced on Thursday in a press release. Launched in 2017, the FDI program is intended to enhance the capabilities of the French Navy with versatile ships capable of intervening in high-intensity conflicts.

The first frigate, the “Amiral Ronarc’h,” was delivered in October 2025 and is currently deployed, while the following ones are scheduled to be delivered between 2027 and 2032. The FDI is an advanced and versatile frigate that carries a helicopter, a drone, and commandos. It can defend against aircraft, track submarines, neutralize surface ships, and respond to so-called irregular threats such as drones or high-speed attack crafts.

Designed for high-intensity combat, the frigates are equipped with Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles, Aster anti-aircraft missiles, MU90 torpedoes, 20mm and 76mm artillery. In air defense, its phased array radar – as opposed to the traditional rotating radar – provides constant 360-degree coverage, reducing reaction time against high-speed flying objects. Fully digital, each FDI has a secure and redundant data center hosting the necessary applications for its combat system to function. They have significant computing capabilities to process information from various onboard sensors. The program is also open for export.

Greece has ordered four FDIs in recent years, amidst tensions in the Mediterranean, particularly with Turkey. The frigates intended for Greece will be able to launch 32 Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles, compared to only 16 for the ones intended for France. However, according to the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Admiral Nicolas Vaujour, the next update to the military programming law will eventually equip all five French FDIs with 32 silos. These additional silos will be integrated gradually, during the scheduled maintenance operations of the ships, as he specified in February during a meeting with the Defense Journalists Association (AJD).