The French Navy has placed an order for five heavily armed "digital frigate" warships optimized for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and equipped with new generation digital radars.

The five frigates, each displacing 4,000 tons, will be based on the "BELH@RRA digital frigate" developed by leading French defense contractor DCNS.  Construction of the new frigates is expected to be finished in 2023. The warships will be commissioned into the French Navy by 2025.

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DCNS says its BELH@RRA frigates are ideal for "digital natives" because the frigates' digital technologies and systems are designed to be incrementally upgraded to maintain equipment and systems for the next 40 years.

BELH@RRA digital frigates are intended for use in anti-submarine warfare. They're equipped with the latest digital technologies that will be updated incrementally to keep the systems modernized and current.

The French Navy version of the BELH@RRA will also have extended self-defense and special forces projection capacities.

Thales is partnering with DCNS to supply the BELH@RRA digital frigates with its new generation Thales' Sea Fire four flat antenna radar system to the French Navy. The frigates will mount Aster 30 medium range surface-to-air and anti-missile missiles made by MBDA.

DCNS said its BELH@RRA frigate responds to the expectations of navies looking for a compact frigate, capable of ensuring long-range missions; operating alone or embedded in a naval force; on the high seas or as part of coastal surveillance missions in a dense and hostile environment.

It claims the new BELH@RRA frigate offers operational intelligence that is unequalled on the market. The BELH@RRA frigates feature a modular design; robustness and simplified use.

BELH@RRA frigate will respond to the specific needs of client navies in all areas of warfare, while at the same time offering significant platform modularity to increase vessel payload or autonomy.

DCNS also said the new frigate will offer cutting-edge performance for anti-submarine warfare; an unprecedented aircraft detection capability and strengthened air-surface warfare capacities. The frigate will also be able to respond to new threats such as asymmetric warfare and will also have cyber-defense capabilities later on.