Russia is going to build its own helicopter carriers, equivalent to the French Mistrals, using obtained French know-hows.
Photo: vacuum.jetsgroup.com
Though Russia did not receive two Mistral amphibious assault ships, also known as helicopter carriers, from France, the country is preparing to build its own ships of this type, using obtained French know-hows, the BFM TV informational website reported.
In 2015, France decided not to deliver Russia two previously ordered Mistral amphibious assault ships, and it seems that Moscow got all possible benefits from this decision. At least, an article, published in the Le Canard enchaîné newspaper, makes us to think in this way.
At the end of December 2016, President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Alexei Rakhmanov said that Russia got French know-hows. If to take into account that France returned money, paid for construction of the ships, “this knowledge cost us for free,” Rakhmanov joked.
As a result, the United Shipbuilding Corporation is going to start construction of helicopter carriers upon its own project. The amphibious assault ships should be similar to the Mistral-type ships as two peas.
BFM TV reminded that the both ships, ordered in 2010, were built at a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, in collaboration with colleagues from the United Shipbuilding Corporation. The Ukrainian conflict, during which Paris took the anti-Russian position, forced French President Francois Hollande to freeze and then cancel the supply of the both ships to Moscow.
According to Le Canard enchaîné, this decision should have allowed to sell a batch of the Airbus Helicopters Caracal worth €3 billion to Poland, which also had strained relations with Russia. However, to the great surprise of all, the new conservative Polish government decided to break off the negotiations with the Airbus, dropping the handkerchief to the US Lockheed-Martin and the Italian-British Agusta-Westland companies. Subsequently, this incident led to the appearance of a mini-crisis in relations between Warsaw and Paris.
Though France eventually found a buyer for the both Mistral ships in the face of Egypt, the government wants to quickly forget about this story, which seems a major defeat.
Russia be like: “Let’s Tu4/Nene this up”
Heh good one..well it’s an amphibious assault ship. Russia can design nuclear submarines and their ballistic missiles so this isn’t a real problem to design a ship like this but why waste effort and money and time designing one from scratch when you can just take what works from the Mistral and modify it for your needs? From what I read what they were really interested in was the powerplant as due to the collapse in the 90’s, ship engine construction was an area the Russians fell behind in quite badly so I expect the French solutions for that are the big things for them to take away. After that, well why change things just for the sake of it? Cheaper to build the shell to existing Mistral standards than design something that looks more Moskva/Kiev/Kuznetsov style.
The trecherous Froggie cheese-eating surrender-monkeys will never sell Russia a marine powerplant for such a vessel, and even they said they would, Russia would be NUTS if they belived them. Commit to a French powerplant then have them embargo support and spares following another geo-political stunt (regime change in Belarus..)?
Screw me once… shame on me… Allow you to screw me a 2nd time? Russians are not that stupid.
Oh of course they won’t sell. But what I meant was that the Russians already examined the technical notes and the powerplant(as they obviously needed the documentation for servicing etc.) and the nature of it and the French method of installation, workings, solutions etc. So they can reverse engineer it and adjust it with their own additions.
Hollande cuts a ridiculous figure as French President and is arguable the worst French President in history ……..and that’s really saying something! I find it utterly laughable that the Russians can now copy the French helicopter carriers at probably a fraction of the cost!………..what a joke! The problem for the west is that their politicians are puppets of the international banking cabal and have to do as they are told. National policy doesn’s exist any more. It may return if Le Pen wins – which many in France including myself hope she does! …………..here’s hoping!