Posted on 01/26/2013 8:29:18 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
French Warship for Russia 'Won't Work in Cold' - Minister
MOSCOW, January 26 (RIA Novosti) - Two amphibious assault ships bought for the Russian Navy from France in a 1.2 billion euro deal will not be able to operate in temperatures below seven degrees centigrade, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin admitted on Saturday, in critical comments about the contract.
"It's very odd that ships for offloading a landing force, floating in our latitudes won't work in temperatures below seven degrees," said Rogozin, who has special responsibilities for the defense industry, in a meeting of the Academy of Military Science on Saturday. He did not elaborate on why the ships would not work in cool temperatures.
Russia signed the 1.2 billion euro deal in June 2011 for two of the Mistral ships, which will carry helicopters to support landings by marines. The first of the ships is due for delivery in 2014.
Rogozin was appointed to his current post only in December 2011.
The first Mistral is due to be deployed in Russia's Pacific Fleet, based in the port of Vladivostok, which is ice-free all year round but still experiences months of severe winter cold. The second is due to be deployed with the Northern Fleet, which also has ice-free bases, due to the Gulf Stream, but also experience very cold temperatures for several months a year.
It is the second time this week that the Mistral deal has come under fire from a senior defense official. On Thursday, Military-Industrial Commission Deputy Head Ivan Kharchenko described the deal to buy the ships as absurd, saying the deal had inflicted harm on the Russian shipbuilding industry.
Looks like it could also be tipped over easily by drunken frat boys.
Name is ironic since "mistral" is a French word for the fierce cold winds blowing down from the Alps.
Ugly slab-sided target.
I’d be hard pressed to design something with a bigger RCS.
Hell is where the British are the chefs, the Swiss are the lovers, the Germans run the government and the french? The french are the engineers...
Well, at least it looks like it will work in water. (Unless, of course that picture is not photoshopped)
Yikes. Nothing elegant about that thing.
This thing looks like a floating movable castle...not really stealthy in any definable way..
French boat, love boat, freedom boat, I could think of a few instead of war boat.
She’s a real beauty!
Let’s hope the Russians get more military help from the French.
(Hoping I don’t need the /s tag...)
Yeah - looks like it has the RCS of a small island. Probably top heavy and rolls like crazy even in a modest sea. Huge sail area, probably a handful in port on any day with more than a puff of breeze. Oh, and doesn’t work in cold? I wonder if anyone checked it out in hot environments either.
I guess the Russians forgot how well the French Army operated in the cold also. Napoleon is laughing from hell.
Russia—listen to your shipbuilders! Build your own ships! That way you can make them work in your brutal climate. Its going to cost a pretty penny (or a shinny ruble) to re-fit those ships to work in the Baltic.
Remember the French aircraft carrier with opaque windows in the tower? The same one that was damaged by vibrating washing machines?
Imagine trying to park it in a cross wind. sd
Yeah, France, boats, military vessels, good thinkin’. ;’)
Thanks sukhoi-30mki.
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