Sale of frigates: a multi-billion agreement between France and Greece threatened by Washington – teller report

After the episode of the submarines, that of the frigates? Less than three months after the agreement concluded between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom which had torpedoed a mega-contract between the Australian navy and France, the administration of Joe Biden thus tries again to blow another juicy accord in Paris.

In a statement, Washington announces that it has pre-approved a plan to sell four combat frigates and their equipment to Athens worth $ 6.9 billion, and an agreement to modernize Greek ships for another 2.5. billions of dollars. The press release specifies, however, that the contract, in both cases, “will be awarded to the winner of an international tender” dealing with the modernization of the Greek navy.

Problem, at the end of September, Emmanuel Macron concluded a similar agreement with the Greek Prime Minister. According to the contract, announced with great fanfare on September 28 in Paris, France must provide three defense and intervention frigates for some 3 billion euros. Paris even found the manufacturer: Naval Group, in Lorient (Morbihan), for a delivery date between 2025 and 2026.

The prior agreement also covers an optional fourth frigate, and must be signed “by the end of the year”, then specified the French Ministry of the Armed Forces. In addition to these ships, it also includes the supply, by the manufacturer, of MBDA missiles for their armaments and support services over three years.

This situation is reminiscent of that experienced three months earlier. In September, the United States announced a security partnership in the Indo-Pacific zone with Australia and the United Kingdom, including the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra. The alliance had automatically broken a gigantic contract signed with France for the sale of conventional submarines to Australia, angering Paris.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, had denounced a “blow in the back”, comparing Joe Biden’s method “what was doing” his predecessor Donald Trump. In response, France had recalled its ambassadors in the United States and Australia, before the situation calmed down and a meeting between the American president and Emmanuel Macron.

The two heads of state, meeting in Rome at the end of October, had announced their intention to launch “a strategic dialogue on military trade”, in particular on export authorizations. With this possible episode of the frigates, did Joe Biden speak too quickly?