Cant believe it.
Surprised only the Daily Mail picked up on this, I mean it seems bizarre, a leading EU country builds Russia two weapons systems for.... global expeditionary warfare? Future grand alliance?
It's something that the trade media has been following for some years (see below), but I agree it is surprising that more of the nationals haven't picked up on it.
Jane's Defence Weekly
French shipyards to begin Mistral talks with Russia
Copyright © IHS (Global) Limited, 2009
French shipyards to begin Mistral talks with Russia
Record Infohide
Publication:Jane's Defence Weekly
Author:
J A C Lewis JDW Correspondent, Paris
Section
UROPE
Countries:France
Russian Federation
Last posted:2009-Oct-14
Paris has given the green light for French shipyards to begin talks with Russia on supplying at least one Mistral-class amphibious assault ship to the Russian Navy, according to sources close to the discussions.
If the deal goes through it would be the first sale of a military platform to the Russian armed forces by a NATO country.
Initial reports of Russian interest in the French vessel surfaced early this year, but the decision to engage in negotiations followed a meeting in Moscow between French Defence Minister Hervé Morin and his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, on 1 October. It then required the approval of the office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. French media reports on 13 October said that Sarkozy's approval had been given but on condition that the 21,000-ton force projection and command ship (Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandement - BCP) is fully built in France and delivered without armaments or radar.
Serdyukov said in Moscow on 1 October that "for the moment we have asked the French side a number of questions" concerning the supply of the BPC, which normally carries only a light armaments suite.
Some sources suggested the Russians could order as many as four of the vessels, which cost around EUR400 million (USD592 million) apiece when fully armed. Two are already in service with the French Navy and a third was ordered this year from the manufacturers, DCNS and STX France, formerly Chantiers de l'Atlantique, in which the French state owns a 33 per cent holding. Based in Saint-Nazaire, STX France is majority-owned by South Korea's STX group.
Sources told Jane's that no specifications had yet been discussed with Russia.
Russia is known to have already approached the Dutch yard Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding about the possibility of acquiring four of the company's amphibious transport ships. It is also expected to contact Spanish shipyard Navantia.
A Navantia-designed 27,000 ton Strategic Projection Ship was chosen by Australia in preference to France's Mistral-class BPC in June 2007.