Brazil is most likely.
Australia already has two bigger and better LHDs, brand new
and Canada sees no need to acquire any warships
Posted on 05/07/2015 6:38:18 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
France has revealed it is considering sinking two brand new state-of-the-art warships if a deal to sell them both to Russia collapses under pressure from America and the EU.
The French government is supposed to have received a payment of €1.12 billion from Moscow for the vessels, but the transfer has been postponed amid tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.
With questions raised over whether the agreement will ever be rekindled, it has now been claimed that France would rather scuttle the warships rather than pay to keep them operational.
As it stands France looks set to lose hundreds of millions of euros on the deal if it cannot convince the US and America to allow it to go ahead, or if Russian President Vladimir Putin loses patience and cancels the contract altogether.
Details of France's potential scuttling of the vessels were revealed by an unnamed officer familiar with the Russian warship deal.
'Among the possible course of actions which is being considered by the French government is the possibility of the helicopter ships being destroyed. They will be dismantled, remodeled or sunk in the open sea,' French newspaper Le Figaro wrote today after speaking with the officer.
The first vessel, the Vladivostok, should have been handed over to Russia in November but French President Francois Hollande has revealed it has now been postponed 'until further notice'.
The cost of adapting the helicopter carriers for use by the French navy is expected to run in to hundreds of millions of pounds, leaving a third party sale the only realistic option.
Le Figaro identified 'Canada, a northern country and Egypt' as possible buyers.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Taiwan?
Well, the US is on-board, but it's difficult to get America to also agree.
Well, the problem is that the US and America simply have a different set of priorities.
P.S. Good catch there!
> Taiwan?
Australia, Canada, Brazil...
What for?
Australia, maybe. Canada, doesn't need them. Brazil, probably not.
One problem is that they're built out with Russian electronics. The potential customer who has a history of working with Russian gear? India.
> The potential customer who has a history of working with Russian gear?
North Korea? We are talking about the French after all. ;-)
Australia already has two LHDS on order after having considered the Mistral.
One problem with the two Russia-specific ships is that they were modified for Arctic conditions, so they’ll carry a lot of baggage that tropical customers like India or Brazil (or even Australia) wouldn’t want. Canada would actually like those.
FINLAND?.............THEY BUY THEM, THEN RE-SELL THEM TO RUSSIA?......................
scuttle??
I am sure they could sell them to a friendly country
South Korea or Taiwan, maybe
Why do NEW FRENCH Navy ships have GLASS Bottoms??
To see the OLD FRENCH Navy ships.
Brazil is most likely.
Australia already has two bigger and better LHDs, brand new
and Canada sees no need to acquire any warships
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