May 5 (UPI) -- French naval company DCNS is to modernize three of the five La Fayette frigates of the French navy, under a contract from France's Directorate-General for Armaments, the company announced Friday.
The upgrade coincides with the Ministry of Defense decision to build new intermediate-size frigates to maintain a fleet of 15 first-rank frigates during a transition period accompanying the delivery of the FTI frigates, which will start in 2023.