Russia To Buy French Helicopter Carriers
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Russia To Buy French Helicopter Carriers
Russia Plans To Buy French Helo-Carrying Warship
A RUSSIAN GENERAL says Moscow wants to buy a helicopter carrier like the French Mistral.
MOSCOW - Russia wants to buy a French helicopter-carring warship, a top general said Aug. 26. Such a purchase would deviate from the Soviet-era principle of producing every piece of military equipment - from pistol cartridges to ballistic missiles - domestically.
Col. Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the General Staff, told reporters in Ulan Bator, where he was traveling with President Dmitry Medvedev, that "not a single country can produce everything at the high-quality level."
"Anyway, we will have to buy something [abroad]," Makarov said, Interfax news agency reported.
He said that the military would negotiate with the French Defense Ministry and a French shipbuilding company he didn't name, to buy a Mistral-class helicopter carrier that could carry 16 helicopters, 40 tanks or 900 troops. Russian shipyards would then produce three or four additional carriers with France's aid, Makarov said.
"Before the year's end, we plan to obtain contract agreements with a French company allowing the construction and purchase of this ship," Makarov told reporters. "There are no ships of this class in Russia."
France's Navy has two of the 21,300-ton carriers in service, and one more is under construction at the Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire dockyards.
Speculation that the military was interested in buying the helicopter carrier, which costs about $1 billion, according to expert estimates, first surfaced in the local Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers last month, but Russian officials denied the reports.
Several Russian defense analysts have questioned the expediency of such a costly purchase in the name of national security. Any military conflicts likely to involve Russia would be with its neighbors, like the war last August with Georgia, which would require land troops and equipment rather than a sea vessel, they say.
Manned by 160-strong crew, a Mistral carrier can also carry four assault landing boats, and is armed with two Simbad missile air defense units, two 30mm Breda-Mauser guns and four 12.7mm machine guns.
Russia has already departed recently from its policy of being over-protective of domestic arms producers by buying 12 spy drones from Israel earlier this year for $53 million.
A RUSSIAN GENERAL says Moscow wants to buy a helicopter carrier like the French Mistral.
MOSCOW - Russia wants to buy a French helicopter-carring warship, a top general said Aug. 26. Such a purchase would deviate from the Soviet-era principle of producing every piece of military equipment - from pistol cartridges to ballistic missiles - domestically.
Col. Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the General Staff, told reporters in Ulan Bator, where he was traveling with President Dmitry Medvedev, that "not a single country can produce everything at the high-quality level."
"Anyway, we will have to buy something [abroad]," Makarov said, Interfax news agency reported.
He said that the military would negotiate with the French Defense Ministry and a French shipbuilding company he didn't name, to buy a Mistral-class helicopter carrier that could carry 16 helicopters, 40 tanks or 900 troops. Russian shipyards would then produce three or four additional carriers with France's aid, Makarov said.
"Before the year's end, we plan to obtain contract agreements with a French company allowing the construction and purchase of this ship," Makarov told reporters. "There are no ships of this class in Russia."
France's Navy has two of the 21,300-ton carriers in service, and one more is under construction at the Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire dockyards.
Speculation that the military was interested in buying the helicopter carrier, which costs about $1 billion, according to expert estimates, first surfaced in the local Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers last month, but Russian officials denied the reports.
Several Russian defense analysts have questioned the expediency of such a costly purchase in the name of national security. Any military conflicts likely to involve Russia would be with its neighbors, like the war last August with Georgia, which would require land troops and equipment rather than a sea vessel, they say.
Manned by 160-strong crew, a Mistral carrier can also carry four assault landing boats, and is armed with two Simbad missile air defense units, two 30mm Breda-Mauser guns and four 12.7mm machine guns.
Russia has already departed recently from its policy of being over-protective of domestic arms producers by buying 12 spy drones from Israel earlier this year for $53 million.
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Russia is also looking to improve their shipyards.
The Soviet Union's shipyard that produced all of its aviation ships (Moskva, Kiev, & Kuznetsov classes ), Soviet Shipyard No. 444 (akaNikolayev South Shipyard) is now apart of the Ukraine, and no longer available.
The Russian shipyard dealing with the conversion of Gorshkov for India has proven less than competent... which bodes ill for the Russian ambition for several new carriers.
Even the large surface combatants currently building or recently delivered in Russia are mainly ones that were designed (and in some cases laid down) before the fall of the Soviet Union.
The text of the article indicates that that first "Mistral-ski" would be built in France (presumably with significant contingents of Russian designers, production managers, engineers, and lead workers present throughout), but subsequent ones would be built in Russia with French technical assistance.
Therefore, this is as much about rebuilding Russian shipbuilding capacity as it is acquiring warships (much like the UK's CVF program, eh?).
The Soviet Union's shipyard that produced all of its aviation ships (Moskva, Kiev, & Kuznetsov classes ), Soviet Shipyard No. 444 (akaNikolayev South Shipyard) is now apart of the Ukraine, and no longer available.
The Russian shipyard dealing with the conversion of Gorshkov for India has proven less than competent... which bodes ill for the Russian ambition for several new carriers.
Even the large surface combatants currently building or recently delivered in Russia are mainly ones that were designed (and in some cases laid down) before the fall of the Soviet Union.
The text of the article indicates that that first "Mistral-ski" would be built in France (presumably with significant contingents of Russian designers, production managers, engineers, and lead workers present throughout), but subsequent ones would be built in Russia with French technical assistance.
Therefore, this is as much about rebuilding Russian shipbuilding capacity as it is acquiring warships (much like the UK's CVF program, eh?).
Jesus, that thing is ugly.
One must wonder the reason Russia needs the helo carriers. Wonder the places they imagine it might be tactically employed.
One must wonder the reason Russia needs the helo carriers. Wonder the places they imagine it might be tactically employed.
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West Coast
Mistral class is primarily for amphibious assault. Offhand, they'd probably deploy in the Black and Caspian seas.
See the neat little article at Mistral class amphibious assault ship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See the neat little article at Mistral class amphibious assault ship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Westie,
It may look ugly, (it is grey after all.....) but FS Tonnerre was pretty impressive during one of the recent JMCs from what I'd heard. It's very, very capable for a European platform, and the Russians could do a lot worse. If it was rubbish, then not even the French would be building four.
S41
It may look ugly, (it is grey after all.....) but FS Tonnerre was pretty impressive during one of the recent JMCs from what I'd heard. It's very, very capable for a European platform, and the Russians could do a lot worse. If it was rubbish, then not even the French would be building four.
S41
