Eight Things You Should Know about HF2

1. HF2 is derived from a proven, fielded and operational ship.

The ship is a variant of the U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). LCS has more than 600,000 nautical miles under the keel and is active in numerous operational deployments. All of the operational feedback from these deployments is rolled into HF2.  

HF2 also has proven, trusted U.S Navy technology onboard, including an Aegis-derived Combat Management System, Cyber-hardened defenses, and engineering and propulsion control systems. 

2. HF2 is customizable to meet Hellenic Navy requirements.

The ship’s capability configuration is designed to address customer needs. If a Navy needs more anti-air or anti-submarine capabilities, the ship’s design can be modified to meet those needs. It can truly be a custom ship for the Hellenic Navy. HF2 is capable of carrying weapons that will be a true game changer and force multiplier for Greece. The U.S. Navy has already invested in significant capabilities for its fleet, and the Hellenic Navy will benefit from a variety of weapon systems and sensors already integrated into HF2.

3. HF2 could be produced in Greece, which would build Greece’s shipbuilding capabilities and bring hundreds of high-quality jobs to the country for decades.

Building HF2 in Greece would bring immediate shipbuilding jobs, and longer-term job opportunities, including sustainment, maintenance and modernization jobs. 

4. The MH-60R are fully integrated to the HF2 and MEKO-class upgrades, and these assets working together pack a powerful punch.

When HF2 and MH-60R work together, fully integrated, they bring lethal and capable anti-submarine warfare capabilities to the fight. HF2 is interoperable with several U.S. Navy assets, meaning that the ship will allow the U.S. and Greece to partner on international missions, and that Greece will have the benefit of U.S. Navy program of record support for 30+ years.  Finally, HF2 is fully interoperable with modernized MEKO-class frigates.

5. The ship is highly automated, allowing its crew to focus on the most important tasks.

Many of HF2’s functions are automated. On older ships, things like operating the ship’s propulsion plant could take engineering division of more than 20 sailors. On HF2, these processes are automated and require less than five people crew.

6. Whether the mission is in littoral waters or open sea, HF2 has it covered.

HF2 can operate in as little as four and a half meters of water, making it ideal for near-shore environments, like the Aegean Sea. In addition to operating in these shallow-depth, near-shore environments, HF2 is capable in open sea environments. 

7. Building HF2 in Greece will enable Greece to become a maintenance center for regional and allied Navies, creating and sustaining jobs for 40 years.

In addition to the jobs created from building HF2 in Greece, the country will also benefit from skilled jobs required to sustain and maintain these ships over the next several decades. As Greece’s Navy maintenance workforce grows, Greece can support allied Navies, too, growing the economy for years to come. HF2 will bring positive long-term benefits to the Greek economy in shipbuilding and the wider defense industrial base.

8. HF2 is cyber hardened and built with cyber defense from the keel up.

Like the Littoral Combat Ship, HF2 was designed with cyber defense from the very beginning. HF2 benefits from the level of cyber defense that is designed to meet and exceed U.S. Navy requirements.