France has refunded Russia over their Mistral class carriers
 

I wonder what the future holds for them?


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/wo...ntlAudDev&_r=0



..

I wonder if Russia got it's money back in Roubles, or a 'hard' currency like the Euro? Perhaps the french paid them n cheese...no, that was all crushed.

Flotel. Just off Calais please.

Al R - I'll go with that one

Anyone got a requirement for two helicopter assault ships?

I seem to recall India was looking for some, and Canada was mentioned at one time as well. How about Argentina? :-)

The French were pushing it as a potential 'civil contingiencies' design as well.

Per a post from the main Mistral thread, the deal was Euro-denominated.

Saudi Arabia is supposedly "desperate" to buy them for Egypt.

I can imagine a number of people would be interested - they'd be right of the shelf for a start................. and very capable too

Are they better than HMS Ocean or the two Albions or are they too different in their design and intention to draw a direct comparison?

"or a 'hard' currency like the Euro?"

Really ? We live in a strange world... The Euro is the classic 'fiat currency', yet Russian has been steadily increasing its gold reserves to support the ruble.

Of course, it all comes down to a question of confidence...... Which just goes to show that our currencies are a con trick ;)

The term "hard currency" has nothing to do with a gold standard or with gold reserves backing the currency.

"Are they better than HMS Ocean or the two Albions or are they too different in their design and intention to draw a direct comparison?"

"Ocean" - LPH 1998 22500 tonnes 17 kt 12 Sea King + 6 Lynx; 285 ships crew+ 206 air support - max 1275

"Albion"- LPD 2003/2004 18500tonnes 18 kt 4 landing craft + 2 Chinook sized spots 325 ships crew + 303 to 708 troops

"Mistral" - LHDM/BPC -2006-2012 16794 tonnes 19 kt 4 landing craft + 6 spots for CH-53 or Osprey (hangar space for 16 Puma) 160 ships crew +400-900 troops

so a lot cheaper to man and probably the same as Ocaan & Albion in capability - but you get both in one ship

TBH we'd be better off with 4 of these rather than the QE class carriers

Apparently Egypt are first in line with Singapore and Canada also interested

Now UAE has officially declared interest. Who knows, maybe France will have a bidding war on their hands.

UAE Confirms Interest in Mistral Ship

Lot of benifit to be able to buy off the shelf rather than bespoke - at least you know the damn things exist and are operating......

Mistral
 

Am in Toulon today and have been aboard FS Dixmude and I can tell you they are very capable ships. I'm all in favour of a raid on St Nazaire and grabbing a couple. On FS Forbin later, should make an interesting comparison to a T45

Harry

Do you really think the world works like that?

If the same vessel does both roles, the space on board has to be compromised.

Don't get me wrong, Ocean is an awful warship in many ways and built to civvy not naval standards, but at least it has hangar space.

Re your comparison with the QE.

Does the fact that you have no knowledge of naval aviation whatsoever not cause you to hesitate for even a moment before demonstrating it on this forum?

Lots of disadvantages with buying COTS too.........

S-D

Three Mistral's in Toulon today and CdeG. They haven't been to sea in quite some time due to France being broke.

They will take any offer they can get for the two ex Russian ships once the have stripped out the Russian kit.

Tourist,

While not specifically defending HH, I feel that I should point out that "..having no knowledge whatsoever..." of a subject hasn't stopped a great many ppruners commenting on numerous threads over many years!!

Tourist - my comment was based on the likely use of any RN vessel - the surface fleet spends almost all of its time on anti-piracy patrols, anti-drug patrols, humanitarian relief and small scale interventions

The QE & PoW will suck personnel and cash out of the rest of the fleet - and we'l lprobably only be able to have one active at any time

far better to have four Mistral's TBH