Posted on 03/27/2010 7:06:45 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The chief of the Russian General Staff said Thursday that Russia would only buy a fully-equipped Mistral-class amphibious assault ship from France.
Russia is negotiating the purchase of a Mistral-class ship from France, worth 400-500 million euros (around $540-$675 million). Russia could also use French technology later to build another three such vessels in Russia in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS.
"Russia's leadership and Defense Ministry have a clear position on the issue. Should a final decision be made on Mistral, we will purchase this ship only if it is fully equipped - with all control and navigation means and armaments," Army General Nikolai Makarov told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta Nedelya government weekly.
"The only exception is helicopters. They will be domestically made. Everything else is to be made to their standards completely," he said.
But the French Defense Ministry on Thursday reiterated that if the deal is struck, Mistral-class vessels would be delivered without armaments.
"The president said publicly in front of his Russian counterpart what the scope for negotiations was," spokesman Laurent Teisseire was quoted by AFP as saying.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said March 1 at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev that Mistral is "a helicopter carrier we will create for Russia without military equipment." A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 armored vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 personnel.
Many Russian military and industry experts have questioned the financial and military sense of the purchase, and some believe that Russia simply wants to gain access to advanced naval technology that could be used in the future in potential conflicts with NATO and its allies.
(Excerpt) Read more at defencetalk.com ...
I have a hunch this means they are more interested in the ship’s state of the art gear, not the ship.
lol. Isn’t Russia selling crappy shells of ships to India?
lol. Isn’t Russia selling crappy shells of ships to India?
Any navy-type experts available to tell us if it is any good?
I know a bit about fighter-type milcraft. I have no idea what makes a good military ship.
The Russians sold the Admiral Gorshkov for 2 1/2 billion dollars.
A a Mistral class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 NH90 or Tigre helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 Leclerc tanks, or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion,and 450 soldiers.
>>A a Mistral class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 NH90 or Tigre helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 Leclerc tanks, or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion,and 450 soldiers.<<
Does it do it well? That sounds like an analogy to a destroyer or the old LST...?
To me, its a impressive ship.Based on displacement tonnage, Mistral and Tonnerre are the largest ships in the French Navy after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, for roughly the same height above water.
>>To me, its a impressive ship.Based on displacement tonnage, Mistral and Tonnerre are the largest ships in the French Navy after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, for roughly the same height above water.<<
I guess I have to ask the question, “does large=good?”
But if it fills a needed space and does it well, then applause to France.
I was racking my brain to remember the classes of vessel that were smaller versions of aircraft carriers (and my Goggle-fu was insufficient) — thanks! I can now take my brain off the rack and reinsert it into my skull :)
One of the things I love about FR is that I can learn so much.
Australia was considering buying a couple of Mistral’s a couple of years ago, so there was quite a bit of discussion of its capabilities here. In the end, it was decided to purchase a variant of the Spanish Navantia - partly because that is fully capable of functioning as a baby aircraft carrier, if we acquire the necessary aircraft. If not for that, the Mistral would have been a good choice.
Yup. As well as one that is ready to go to work.
This deal is not going to happen. It was clear they will add more and more strings until it won’t be appropriate for the French. More and more technology transfer is one of that.
The idea of this deal is to set fight in a NATO about it and to press upon Russian defence contractors by faux ‘drop buy Russian policy’ to force them offer a better gear.
only if it is fully equipped - with all control and navigation means and armaments,"
"armaments" is probaly a smoke screen. The Mistral has a pretty basic self-defence suite - couple of Simbad SAM and a couple of 30mm Breda-Bofors. The Russkis could do way better than that with their Kashtan 
What they may want is the Thales MMR-3D NG multi-role radar.
That was certainly important to the ADF as a whole, but I honestly think the Navy just wants a chance to have a carrier again :)
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