Controversial France-Russia Warship Step Closer To Completion

[Indus Falcon]

Controversial France-Russia Warship Step Closer To Completion
Jun. 26, 2014 -By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

The Vladivostok warship, a Mistral class LHD amphibious vessel ordered by Russia, is seen June 23 in Saint-Nazaire, France. (Jean-Sebastien Evrard / AFP)

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA— A controversial French-Russian warship project that has been decried by NATO came a step closer to completion on Thursday when the stern of the helicopter carrier was dispatched to France.

The Baltiysky shipyard in Russia said it had begun towing the stern of the Mistral-class carrier to the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire on the French Atlantic coast.

The French shipyard will weld the stern to the hull before delivering the finished warship to the Russian navy at the end of next year. A second carrier has already been completed and is due to be delivered to Russia later this year.

With the Ukraine crisis plunging relations between Russia and the West to their lowest point since the Cold War, the timing of the project has been heavily criticized by Washington and NATO.

Adding to the awkward symbolism, the 22,000-tonne carrier will be named Sevastopol, after the port city in Crimea which Moscow annexed in March.

President Barack Obama urged Paris to “press the pause button” on the project earlier this month. Other NATO allies worry Moscow will use the carriers to threaten its Black Sea neighbors.

But French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius argued France cannot renege on the contract, which was signed in 2011, without incurring penalties of $1.6 billion (€1.2 billion).

It will take three weeks for the hull to arrive in France. The ship is due to be completed and put to sea in October, and delivered to Russia in late 2015.

“Construction of the Mistrals has been a good experience of working with French shipbuilders which we will surely need in the future,” Baltiysky’s director Alexei Kadilov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

http://www.defensenews.com/comments...-France-Russia-Warship-Step-Closer-Completion


Controversial France-Russia Warship Step Closer To Completion | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[senheiser]

next time we buy from japan or built one our selfs. France is not reliably partner

 

[Indus Falcon]

Russian Sailors Arrive To Begin Mistral Training
Jun. 30, 2014 - By PIERRE TRAN

Russian sailors arrive aboard the Smolny on Monday in Saint-Nazaire, western France, to begin training on the Vladivostok, a Mistral-class ship. (JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/ / AFP/Getty Images)

PARIS— Some 400 Russian sailors arrived on Monday at Saint-Nazaire dockyard to begin training on the Mistral-class helicopter carrier built for the Russian Navy, an industry executive said.

“They have arrived as expected,” the executive said.

French media widely reported the controversial arrival of Russian personnel, which was planned for the start of June and then delayed.

French tugs towed the Russian training ship Smolny, which carried the sailors, into the harbor a little after 7 a.m., Agence France-Presse reported.

Some 50 pro-Ukraine protestors demonstrated on Sunday against France’s naval deal with Russia, with one of the banners saying, “[President François] Hollande, France’s honor is worth more than the Mistral,” the news agency reported.

The training will last four months, the executive said. The first part consists of getting to know the vessel while docked in the port, with a second phase of sailing to come later.

The 400 sailors will form the two crews for the two carriers built for the Russian Navy. Prime contractor DCNS designed the Mistral, with STX building the vessels and DCI handling the training at sea.

The French government has said a decision on whether to hand over the first vessel, Vladivostok, will be made in October when delivery is due. The second ship is under construction and is due to be delivered next year. Russia bought the two ships under a 2011 contract worth €1.2 billion (US $1.6 billion), with options for two more units.

Russian Sailors Arrive To Begin Mistral Training | Defense News | defensenews.com

 

[Hakan]

I dont get why Russia couldn't build its own.

 

[Indus Falcon]

I dont get why Russia couldn't build its own.

Loss of knowledge base.

Secondly, they realized they needed something state of the art. If they stuck with their own technology they could very well be left with a ship that is already obsolete, even before it hits the water!

 

[Contrarian]

I dont get why Russia couldn't build its own.

They could have easily built it, but it would have been a conventional ship.

Their technological base in some fields has not kept up with the times.
Post breakup, Russia did not have sufficient funds to invest in all areas. The naval segment was relegated to the background compared to the compare urgent missile and aeronautical fields.

Mistral was an opportunity for Russia to get new technology. They will replicate and adopt it quite fast though. As their economy is growing, they are starting to put back money in these areas as well.

 

[vostok]

I dont get why Russia couldn't build its own.

Shipyard where aircraft carriers were built for the USSR went to Ukraine, Nikolaev city.

 

[bdslph]

next time any project Russia should make there own