Title: MISTRAL class assault carrier bought by Russia?
MSantor - August 26, 2009 07:46 PM (GMT)
Will this mean they will take out some Yak Forgers (Soviet-era VTOL aircraft) out of mothballs to launch from her?
| QUOTE |
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20090826/155931865.html ULAN BATOR, August 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is planning on signing by the end of 2009 a contractual agreement with France on the purchase of a Mistral class amphibious assault ship, the chief of the Russian General Staff said on Wednesday. "We are planning to reach an agreement [with France] this year on the production and the purchase of a Mistral class vessel," Gen. Nikolai Makarov told a news conference in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Bator. "We are negotiating the purchase of one ship at present, and later planning to acquire 3-4 ships [of the same class] to be jointly built in Russia," the general said. A Mistral class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 main battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The vessel is equipped with a 69-bed hospital and could be used as an amphibious command ship. Makarov did not disclose the amount of the deal, but a high-ranking Russian source close to negotiations earlier said the ship could be worth between 300 and 400 million euros ($430-580 mln). The purchase, if successful, would be the first large-scale arms import deal concluded by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia first expressed an interest in bilateral cooperation with France in naval equipment and technology in 2008, when Navy chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky visited the Euronaval 2008 arms show in France. The admiral said at the time that the Russian Navy was interested in "joint research and also direct purchases of French naval equipment." According to other military sources, the possibility of buying a Mistral class amphibious assault ship was discussed at the naval show in St. Petersburg in June this year. Russia's current weapons procurement program through 2015 does not envision construction or purchases of large combat ships, so the possible acquisition of a French Mistral class ship is most likely to happen under the new program for the years up to 2020, which is still in the development. |
MSantor - September 22, 2009 05:11 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| MOSCOW - The Russian Navy may expand its search for a new helicopter-carrier to other NATO members, while still negotiating to buy one of France's latest Mistral-class vessels, its chief said Sept. 11. Naval Commander-in-Chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotski, quoted by Russian news agencies, said, "I confirm that negotiations for the purchase of a Mistral are under way, but it is highly probable that tenders will be sought "Several countries in the world possess similar technology, including in particular the Netherlands and Spain." He added, "We will not only buy the helicopter-carrier but also the technology for building it." Vysotsky said that a Mistral-type warship, which can carry 16 heavy helicopters, landing-craft and troops as well as acting as a command and control vessel, would greatly enhance the Russian Navy's fighting capacity. "During the events of August 2008 [when Russia fought a brief war with Georgia], such a ship would have enabled the Russian Black Sea Fleet to have accomplished its mission in 40 minutes instead of 26 hours," he claimed. The Russian armed forces chief of staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said last month that Moscow planned to buy a Mistral in an unprecedented deal experts said reflected Kremlin efforts to accelerate military modernization. Makarov also said Russia wanted to forge a deal with France on joint production of at least four or five ships of the same class. He did not name a price, but the Russian government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported earlier that one ship would cost 700 million euros ($995 million). |
Trying to squeeze a better deal from the French?
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4272788&c=EUR&s=SEA
MSantor - November 1, 2009 02:53 PM (GMT)
Another notable update:
| QUOTE |
France, Russia Move Closer to Mistral Deal AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Published: 31 Oct 2009 11:35 MOSCOW - France will send a warship to Russia in November in the run up to an unprecedented deal to sell it a helicopter carrier, a top defense ministry official said Oct. 31, RIA Novosti reported. "In November, the Mistral helicopter carrier will arrive on a visit to St. Petersburg," the first deputy chief of the Navy general staff, Oleg Burtsev, told the news agency. Burtsev also confirmed that Russia was planning to purchase one of the Mistral warships and to construct a further four warships under license. "We plan to buy one Mistral-class ship in France, and with technical support from the French to build four helicopter carriers of this class under license," Burtsev told the news agency. Burtsev said that he attended talks on the warship deal in France two weeks ago and that France agreed to Russia's proposal to buy the ship, RIA Novosti reported. The Mistral warship can carry 16 heavy helicopters, landing-craft and troops and can also act as a command and control vessel. Burtsev did not name a price, but the ship is set to cost up to 500 million euros ($740 million) RIA Novosti reported Saturday, citing French media. The Russian armed forces chief of staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, said in August that Moscow planned to buy a Mistral in an unprecedented deal that experts said reflected Kremlin efforts to accelerate military modernization. The naval commander-in-chief Vladimir Vysotsky raised questions over the deal in September when he said that Russia might look to Spain or the Netherlands to buy the ship-building technology. Since World War II, Russia has insisted on producing all military hardware for its own use and export, but it has failed to keep up with the West. In recent years, Russia has talked a lot about modernizing its armed forces, which still rely heavily on Soviet-era equipment, and steadily increased its procurement budgets during Vladimir Putin's presidency. The Mistral-class warships would be based at Russia's northern and Pacific fleets but might also be used against Somalian pirates, Burtsev said. "The ships are being acquired for troop-carrying, peace-keeping and rescue operations. What's more, this ship can be effectively used for fighting pirates, including those off the coast of Somalia," Burtsev told RIA Novosti. Russia is one of several countries to have sent naval ships to the coast of Somalia to try to combat the rising tide of attacks on vessels passing through the strategic Gulf of Aden. In the most recent attack, Somali pirates seized a Thai fishing trawler with a crew including 23 Russian sailors, the Russian foreign ministry said Oct. 30. |
saver111 - November 23, 2009 02:22 PM (GMT)
French ship Russia wants to buy in St Petersburg
AP
The Mistral French amphibious assault ship/helicopter carrier/hospital ship docks on the Neva River in downtown St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, with one of the city landmarks, St. Isaac's Cathedral, in the background. Russia is planning to buy a Mistral-class ship worth 400-500 million euros (around $600-$750 million) from France. Russian Navy and defense industry experts are expected to inspect the ship during the visit. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
By IRINA TITOVA, Associated Press Writer Irina Titova, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 52 mins ago
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – A French amphibious assault ship like the one Russia hopes to buy arrived Monday in St. Petersburg, fueling concern in Georgia and other ex-Soviet nations that Russia is upgrading its navy to intimidate its neighbors.
The Mistral military ship, which can carry more than a dozen helicopters along with dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles, would certainly be a modern way to project Russian power.
It docked Monday on the Neva River, about 1 kilometer (.6 miles) from the Hermitage museum. Russian officials are considering buying a Mistral ship and a license to build several others — their first such purchase from a NATO country.
Media reports have said it would cost Russia up to euro500 million ($750 million) to buy a Mistral-class ship.
NATO officials in Brussels would not comment Monday on the possible French navy sale.
The Kremlin increasingly has sought in recent years to reaffirm Russia's global reach and prestige in world affairs. It has sent its warships to patrol pirate-infested waters off Somalia and dispatched a navy squadron to the Caribbean where it took part in joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy and made several port calls in 2008.
The Caribbean mission, aimed at flexing military muscles near the U.S. in the tense months after the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, was the most visible Russian navy deployment since Soviet times.
But despite the Kremlin's ambitions, the post-Soviet economic meltdown has left the Russian navy with only a handful of big ships in seaworthy condition and badly crippled the nation's shipbuilding industries.
Russia has only one Soviet-built aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is much smaller than the U.S. aircraft carriers and has been plagued by mechanical problems and accidents.
Russian shipbuilders have opposed the Mistral deal, saying the government should invest in domestic production instead. Navy officials have argued that license production of Mistral-class ships would help modernize Russia's aging industries.
The navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, has said a ship like Mistral would have allowed the Russian navy to mount a much more efficient operation in the Black Sea during the Russia-Georgia war. He said the French ship would take just 40 minutes to do the job that the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels did in 26 hours, apparently referring to amphibious landing operations.
Georgia was clearly worried about the possible deal.
"We strongly oppose the sale of such ship to Russia," Nika Laliashvili of the Georgian parliament's defense affairs committee told The Associated Press. "It poses a serious danger to Georgia."
Since the 2008 war, Russia has declared the Georgian territory of Abkhazia an independent nation and sent thousands of troops there. Abkhazia has a coastline along the Black Sea that is next to Russia's coast.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091123/ap_on_...rance_navy_ship
AP
The Mistral French amphibious assault ship/helicopter carrier/hospital ship docks on the Neva River in downtown St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Nov. 23, 2009, with one of the city landmarks, St. Isaac's Cathedral, in the background. Russia is planning to buy a Mistral-class ship worth 400-500 million euros (around $600-$750 million) from France. Russian Navy and defense industry experts are expected to inspect the ship during the visit. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
By IRINA TITOVA, Associated Press Writer Irina Titova, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 52 mins ago
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – A French amphibious assault ship like the one Russia hopes to buy arrived Monday in St. Petersburg, fueling concern in Georgia and other ex-Soviet nations that Russia is upgrading its navy to intimidate its neighbors.
The Mistral military ship, which can carry more than a dozen helicopters along with dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles, would certainly be a modern way to project Russian power.
It docked Monday on the Neva River, about 1 kilometer (.6 miles) from the Hermitage museum. Russian officials are considering buying a Mistral ship and a license to build several others — their first such purchase from a NATO country.
Media reports have said it would cost Russia up to euro500 million ($750 million) to buy a Mistral-class ship.
NATO officials in Brussels would not comment Monday on the possible French navy sale.
The Kremlin increasingly has sought in recent years to reaffirm Russia's global reach and prestige in world affairs. It has sent its warships to patrol pirate-infested waters off Somalia and dispatched a navy squadron to the Caribbean where it took part in joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy and made several port calls in 2008.
The Caribbean mission, aimed at flexing military muscles near the U.S. in the tense months after the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, was the most visible Russian navy deployment since Soviet times.
But despite the Kremlin's ambitions, the post-Soviet economic meltdown has left the Russian navy with only a handful of big ships in seaworthy condition and badly crippled the nation's shipbuilding industries.
Russia has only one Soviet-built aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is much smaller than the U.S. aircraft carriers and has been plagued by mechanical problems and accidents.
Russian shipbuilders have opposed the Mistral deal, saying the government should invest in domestic production instead. Navy officials have argued that license production of Mistral-class ships would help modernize Russia's aging industries.
The navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, has said a ship like Mistral would have allowed the Russian navy to mount a much more efficient operation in the Black Sea during the Russia-Georgia war. He said the French ship would take just 40 minutes to do the job that the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels did in 26 hours, apparently referring to amphibious landing operations.
Georgia was clearly worried about the possible deal.
"We strongly oppose the sale of such ship to Russia," Nika Laliashvili of the Georgian parliament's defense affairs committee told The Associated Press. "It poses a serious danger to Georgia."
Since the 2008 war, Russia has declared the Georgian territory of Abkhazia an independent nation and sent thousands of troops there. Abkhazia has a coastline along the Black Sea that is next to Russia's coast.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091123/ap_on_...rance_navy_ship
seWer Rat - November 26, 2009 12:35 PM (GMT)
http://www.russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-1...tary-image.html
ROAR: Russian military in search of “new image”
permalinke-mail story to a friendprint version
Published 26 November, 2009, 14:38
A French Mistral helicopter carrier may become the largest purchase in the efforts to modernize the Russian Armed Forces' armory.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will discuss political and economic topics with the French leadership during his official visit to France that starts on November 26. He will also talk to his French counterpart Francois Fillon about the preparations for a Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia, scheduled for 2010.
The issue of purchasing a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship for the Russian Navy “could be discussed” during the talks in France, deputy head of the government staff Yury Ushakov told journalists. The preliminary decision may be taken not only on the purchase of the ship, but also on a license to build four such ships in Russia.
The Mistral talks have been in the focus of the media’s attention for weeks. If the deal is signed, it will be the largest vessel Russia has ever bought for its Navy.
France’s Mistral helicopter carrier on November 23 called in at St. Petersburg, and military specialists and ship-builders were able to assess the vessel’s characteristics. There is a strong opposition in Russia against buying foreign-made battle ships because many say it costs too much and undermines the country’s domestic ship-building industry.
After an inspection of the ship, the Russian side will either approve the purchase or will call it “premature,” sources at Vedomosti daily said. The French naval shipbuilder DCN is waiting for “political impulse,” the paper noted, adding that a similar situation “is seen in Russia.”
Many analysts cast doubt on the deal. Vedomosti quoted Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director at the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, as saying that “the project would cost over one billion euros.” The funding could instead be used to buy French thermal imaging systems for the Russia’s tanks that are to be retained under the current reform of the armed forces, he said.
The Mistral visit to St. Petersburg was part of the bilateral military cooperation between Russia and France, Kommersant daily said. Till the weekend the ship will be taking part in joint exercises with the Russian Navy at the Baltic Sea, it added. The captain of the vessel avoided speaking about the possible purchase, the paper stressed.
The Russian prime minister is not likely to discuss “the signing of the deal” during his visit to France, the daily said. Rather, “those responsible for the talks will be appointed,” the paper noted, adding that the main candidates are “the defense ministers of the two countries.”
If success is achieved in the talks, “the ship for Russia may be built during the two years from the signing of the documents,“ the paper said.
However, the media write about the strong opposition to the purchase in Russia. A top manager at United Shipbuilding Corporation told Kommersant that the funding may be allocated to building Russian ships of a similar type.
Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies believes that the Mistral talks are part of the new policy of the Russian Defense Ministry in the sphere of the purchases of arms. The first signs of this policy were contracts on buying thermal imagers in France and unmanned drones in Israel, he wrote in Izvestia daily.
“All these deals were treated as usual imports of advanced military technologies with the purpose of their further localization or reproduction,” the analyst said.
“However, the appetite comes with eating,” Pukhov said, adding that purchasing new weaponry is being negotiated. He said that he did not know “the real goals of buying the Mistral.”
“I assume that this decision has probably been sanctioned by the leadership… to thank French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his loyal policy towards Russia.”
“No attempts have been undertaken to attract Russian design engineering bureaus to participation in the competition,” Pukhov said. “They only say that Russia lacks the experience of designing and building such ships,” he said.
Pukhov also doubted that Russia would be able to receive any modern technologies with the purchase of the French vessel.
The story with the purchase of the Mistral once again reveals the problem of the absence in the Defense Ministry “of clear views on the long-term perspectives in the sphere of military and technical policy” despite the great number of different programs and conceptions, Pukhov said.
He stressed that the state program of the armament for 2007-2015 has actually lost its significance because of the planned transition to “the new image of the army.”
This transition began in 2008 and it envisioned a series of reforms, and massive rearmament was part of these reforms, Izvestia said. The military promise to buy “only modern arms and military technology,” the paper added.
Russia’s industry may offer only 10% of the whole catalog of the necessary weaponry and military equipment, the daily stressed, noting, “In many respects for this reason, the new image of the army envisions purchasing foreign-made military equipment – the Mistral, for instance.”
The Defense Ministry would also buy communication facilities and means of electronic intelligence in the West, “but nobody will sell them to us,” the paper said.
The Russian military plan to abandon old research projects that have not created new weapons and to buy military equipment for the released funds, Vedomosti said. The country needs “missile boats, corvettes and frigates to maintain the balance of forces on the Black and Baltic seas” as well as larger ships to increase the presence in the oceans, the paper added.
The August 2008 events in the Caucasus “exposed major failings in the Russian military, including weak reconnaissance and telecommunications capabilities, and both poor troop control, and weapons control processes,” Vremya Novostey stressed.
Observers say that it is naive to think that all the shortcomings can be eliminated in a short period, but they note that the modernization is already under way.
At a recent extended board of the Russian Defense Ministry, intermediate results of the initiative to establish a new image of the armed forces were considered. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the tasks set for 2009 had been fulfilled, and military exercises in autumn 2009 “had confirmed it.” This does not mean “that we are satisfied,” the minister said. “This means that the work is being done in the necessary direction.”
Serdyukov added that up-to-date automated control centers and information complexes will start working, and that the army will completely switch to digital communication facilities by 2012.
Sergey Borisov, RT
ROAR: Russian military in search of “new image”
permalinke-mail story to a friendprint version
Published 26 November, 2009, 14:38
A French Mistral helicopter carrier may become the largest purchase in the efforts to modernize the Russian Armed Forces' armory.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will discuss political and economic topics with the French leadership during his official visit to France that starts on November 26. He will also talk to his French counterpart Francois Fillon about the preparations for a Year of Russia in France and a Year of France in Russia, scheduled for 2010.
The issue of purchasing a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship for the Russian Navy “could be discussed” during the talks in France, deputy head of the government staff Yury Ushakov told journalists. The preliminary decision may be taken not only on the purchase of the ship, but also on a license to build four such ships in Russia.
The Mistral talks have been in the focus of the media’s attention for weeks. If the deal is signed, it will be the largest vessel Russia has ever bought for its Navy.
France’s Mistral helicopter carrier on November 23 called in at St. Petersburg, and military specialists and ship-builders were able to assess the vessel’s characteristics. There is a strong opposition in Russia against buying foreign-made battle ships because many say it costs too much and undermines the country’s domestic ship-building industry.
After an inspection of the ship, the Russian side will either approve the purchase or will call it “premature,” sources at Vedomosti daily said. The French naval shipbuilder DCN is waiting for “political impulse,” the paper noted, adding that a similar situation “is seen in Russia.”
Many analysts cast doubt on the deal. Vedomosti quoted Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director at the Russian Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, as saying that “the project would cost over one billion euros.” The funding could instead be used to buy French thermal imaging systems for the Russia’s tanks that are to be retained under the current reform of the armed forces, he said.
The Mistral visit to St. Petersburg was part of the bilateral military cooperation between Russia and France, Kommersant daily said. Till the weekend the ship will be taking part in joint exercises with the Russian Navy at the Baltic Sea, it added. The captain of the vessel avoided speaking about the possible purchase, the paper stressed.
The Russian prime minister is not likely to discuss “the signing of the deal” during his visit to France, the daily said. Rather, “those responsible for the talks will be appointed,” the paper noted, adding that the main candidates are “the defense ministers of the two countries.”
If success is achieved in the talks, “the ship for Russia may be built during the two years from the signing of the documents,“ the paper said.
However, the media write about the strong opposition to the purchase in Russia. A top manager at United Shipbuilding Corporation told Kommersant that the funding may be allocated to building Russian ships of a similar type.
Ruslan Pukhov, Director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies believes that the Mistral talks are part of the new policy of the Russian Defense Ministry in the sphere of the purchases of arms. The first signs of this policy were contracts on buying thermal imagers in France and unmanned drones in Israel, he wrote in Izvestia daily.
“All these deals were treated as usual imports of advanced military technologies with the purpose of their further localization or reproduction,” the analyst said.
“However, the appetite comes with eating,” Pukhov said, adding that purchasing new weaponry is being negotiated. He said that he did not know “the real goals of buying the Mistral.”
“I assume that this decision has probably been sanctioned by the leadership… to thank French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his loyal policy towards Russia.”
“No attempts have been undertaken to attract Russian design engineering bureaus to participation in the competition,” Pukhov said. “They only say that Russia lacks the experience of designing and building such ships,” he said.
Pukhov also doubted that Russia would be able to receive any modern technologies with the purchase of the French vessel.
The story with the purchase of the Mistral once again reveals the problem of the absence in the Defense Ministry “of clear views on the long-term perspectives in the sphere of military and technical policy” despite the great number of different programs and conceptions, Pukhov said.
He stressed that the state program of the armament for 2007-2015 has actually lost its significance because of the planned transition to “the new image of the army.”
This transition began in 2008 and it envisioned a series of reforms, and massive rearmament was part of these reforms, Izvestia said. The military promise to buy “only modern arms and military technology,” the paper added.
Russia’s industry may offer only 10% of the whole catalog of the necessary weaponry and military equipment, the daily stressed, noting, “In many respects for this reason, the new image of the army envisions purchasing foreign-made military equipment – the Mistral, for instance.”
The Defense Ministry would also buy communication facilities and means of electronic intelligence in the West, “but nobody will sell them to us,” the paper said.
The Russian military plan to abandon old research projects that have not created new weapons and to buy military equipment for the released funds, Vedomosti said. The country needs “missile boats, corvettes and frigates to maintain the balance of forces on the Black and Baltic seas” as well as larger ships to increase the presence in the oceans, the paper added.
The August 2008 events in the Caucasus “exposed major failings in the Russian military, including weak reconnaissance and telecommunications capabilities, and both poor troop control, and weapons control processes,” Vremya Novostey stressed.
Observers say that it is naive to think that all the shortcomings can be eliminated in a short period, but they note that the modernization is already under way.
At a recent extended board of the Russian Defense Ministry, intermediate results of the initiative to establish a new image of the armed forces were considered. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that the tasks set for 2009 had been fulfilled, and military exercises in autumn 2009 “had confirmed it.” This does not mean “that we are satisfied,” the minister said. “This means that the work is being done in the necessary direction.”
Serdyukov added that up-to-date automated control centers and information complexes will start working, and that the army will completely switch to digital communication facilities by 2012.
Sergey Borisov, RT