UAE Confirms Interest in Mistral Ship

A United Arab Emirates government official has confirmed the government's interest in acquiring one of two French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships originally ordered by Russia in 2011.
France and Russia last month reached a political agreement to cancel the Mistral deal and Paris is paying back Moscow's advance payments on the two warships. France paid Russia more than US $1 billion in compensation for the non-delivery.
defensenews

France moots cancellation of Mistral warships deal

French president Francois Hollande suggested Wednesday (22 April) that France might not deliver its mistral warships to Russia but refund Moscow instead.
"On the Mistrals, all options will be addressed. At the moment, as I have said, the Mistral delivery is not possible in the current context," Hollande said at a press conference in Paris with Ukrainian president.
Hollande suspended the delivery of the first ship in September last year after the EU took sanctions against Russia for its involvement in the war in Ukraine.
The suspension was upheld "indefinitely" in November.
France and Russia have been discussing a settlement for some time and Putin opened the door last week to a compromise.
euobserver

France, Russia Negotiating Resolution To Mistral Deal

French President says talks with Moscow are being held to find a solution to the suspended delivery to Russia of two French-built Mistral warships.
France postponed the deal with Russia last year because of Moscow's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and involvement in the crisis in eastern Ukraine.
Russia has said it will seek a refund for the helicopter-carrying warships if they are not delivered.
Russian President said last week he was disappointed by France's refusal to deliver the warships but that their absence does not hurt his country's defense capabilities.
Hollande said the issue could be discussed with Putin when the two meet in Armenia on April 24.
rferl

2nd Mistral Class for Russian Navy Ends First Sea Trial

The next sailing is due in mid-April. France is due to hand over the Sevastopol in the last quarter of 2015.
On Nov. 25, the French government suspended the delivery of the Vladivostok, which had been due for an official handover on Nov. 14 to the Russian authorities. The suspension was due to the continuing conflict in east Ukraine.
France had set two conditions for delivery: that the cease-fire in Ukraine be observed and Kiev and Moscow reach a political settlement.
In 2011, Paris sold the two vessels to Moscow, despite deep concern among the Baltic nations and allies in central Europe and the US.
defensenews

Russian Navy new Ka-52K Hokum B Naval Attack Helicopter Conducted its First Test Flight

Pictures have emerged on Russian social networks showing the first test flight of the new Ka-52K Naval Attack helicopter. Based on the Ka-52 "Alligator" the K version has been specifically modified for the Russian Navy to operate the helicopters from the Mistral class LHDs.
The navalised version of the Alligator features a folding rotor head and folding stub-wings. Other modifications are rumored to include the ability to launch Kh-31 and Kh-35 anti-ship missiles. Some reports also reported the installation of a Mig-35 fighter's Zhuk-A phased array radar in the nose of the Ka-52K.
The first test flight of the new Ka-52K took place on March 7. The helicopter features a dark gray camouflage. The inscription on the tailmeans it belong to the Russian Navy Naval Aviation.
The helicopter features four hardpoints under its wings. Similar to the land forces version, the Ka-52K is fitted with a GOES-451 optronic sensor under the nose and a 2A42 30-mm automatic cannon.
Intended originally to be deployed from the two Mistral class LHDs built in France, it is not clear what the Russian Navy will do if the two amphibious vessels are not delivered. Russian Ministry of Defence official have recently declared however that the Russian Navy has a need for Naval Attack helicopters and will use the Ka-52K regardless of the Russian Mistrals fate. It won't be possible for the Russian Navy to operate them from the future Ivan Gren-class landing ship (Project 11711). The Ka-52K will have to be shore based or deployed from Russian Navy's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
Russia and France signed a $1.6 billion deal for two Mistral-class ships in June 2011. The handover of the first ship, the Vladivostok, was scheduled for November 14, but did not take place.
On November 25, French President Francois Hollande postponed the delivery of the Vladivostok to Russia over the situation in Ukraine.
navyrecognition

Mistral-class Sevastopol ship to undergo first sea trials March 16-20

The amphibious assault helicopter carrier of the Mistral class, the Sevastopol, will undergo the first sea trials on March 16-20 to check the navigation systems.
There will be no Russian sailors on board during the sea trials. Russian sailors who had taken a six-month course of instruction at the first ship of the Mistral class - the Vladivostok - have left St. Nazaire last December.
In February, the Sevastopol’s on-board equipment started transmitting the signal for the international Automatic Identification System, AIS.
The contract for building two Mistral class ships for the Russian Navy was concluded in June 2011. The first ship, the Vladivostok, launched in October 2013, was to be delivered to Russia back in November 2014. At the last moment Paris suspended the handover indefinitely saying the crisis in Ukraine was the reason. The Vladivostok has since remained moored in St. Nazaire. The Sevastopol is to be finalized by the end of this year.
Mistral landing helicopter carriers will perform four tasks at a same time: receive helicopters, land troops, and act as a command post and a floating hospital. Each ship will carry a group of 16 helicopters. Six of them can be deployed on the flight-deck at the same time. The cargo deck can accommodate more than 40 tanks or 70 motor vehicles.
Russia is buying the French helicopter carrier Mistral with French equipment, including combat navigation devices, but will arm it with its own weaponry. The Mistral ships will carry upgraded Russian Ka-32 Alligator attack helicopters.
tass

Russia Wants Formal French Answer on Mistral

The French procurement office Tuesday declined to comment on a report Russia has asked for a written statement on whether the Mistral class helicopter carrier will be delivered to Moscow.
Russia officially sent a written request to France for an explanation of the refusal to deliver the Mistral warship.
Russia has called on France to either deliver the Mistral or hand back the payment.
DCNS, prime contractor for the Mistral, organized an official handover of the Vladivostok on Nov. 14, the first of the two helicopter carriers bought by Russia.
France on Nov. 25 suspended the delivery and said the warship would only be released if a real cease-fire was observed in Ukraine.
defensenews

Mistral Warships delivery dependent on Ukraine situation, says France

French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his country would deliver two warships ordered by Russia only if there were concrete signs of lasting peace in Ukraine.
Western powers have accused Russia of arming and bankrolling a rebellion in eastern Ukraine, a charge Moscow denies.
But sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States on Russia have complicated France's commitment to the 1.2 billion-euro deal to deliver the two Mistral-class warships - even though the order was made long before the crisis erupted.
"There needs to be ... a process of ceasefire that is respected and a political roadmap that would lead to the return of peace and calm," Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio station.
"I see that efforts are being made, but as long as they are neither tangible nor verifiable, we cannot make a decision," he added.
A September truce, followed by another ceasefire deal, has helped calm the heaviest fighting but clashes continue in eastern Ukraine. Kiev has reported the deaths of nearly 20 soldiers in the past three weeks.
The French government said late November that it was delaying delivery of the first warship, which was set for autumn 2014, "until further notice."
english

France delays delivery of Mistral warship to Russia 'indifinitely'

French President François Hollande delayed indefinitely on Tuesday his decision on whether to deliver the first of two Mistral helicopter carriers ordered by Russia citing the "current situation" in eastern Ukraine.
The statement follows months of speculation about the contract, with Paris coming under intense pressure from its NATO allies to scrap the contract.
The Vladivostok was supposed to be the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers delivered to Russia according to the original deal signed in 2011.
The ships, which were built in the western French port city of Saint-Nazaire, were scheduled to be delivered to Russia by the last quarter of 2014.
The concern in France, which is suffering from record-high unemployment and stagnant growth, is that it not only loses the receipts from this sale but also that its credibility as a weapons exporter is compromised.
Russia has reportedly warned Paris of "serious" consequences unless France delivers the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers by the end of November.
However, Russia's Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov told RIA news agency on Tuesday that Russia would not pursue claims against France over non-delivery, but expected the contract to be fulfilled.
france24.com

Russia Gives France End of November Deadline to Deliver Mistral

Russia will give France deadline until the end of November to deliver the first Mistral-class helicopter carrier and will make serious legal claims if Paris does not fulfill its contract.
Russian Deputy Minister Dmitry Rogozin said earlier that Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport had been invited to France to attend the official handover ceremony of the first Mistral carrier on November 14.
Russia and France signed a deal for the two Mistral-class ships in June 2011. While the first carrier, the Vladivostok, is expected in Russia by the end of the month, the second ship, the Sevastopol, is supposed to arrive in 2015.
The deal has been in jeopardy after the West started implementing economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukrainian crisis. French President in October threatened to suspend the deliveries of the ships, citing Russia’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
On November 6, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced that the conditions for the delivery of the Mistral carriers to Russia have not yet been met.
In its turn, Moscow stated that if the contact was cancelled, Paris would have to pay a large penalty. Russia also said that if anything goes wrong, the country would be able to build an analogue to the Mistral by itself.
sputniknews

Russia Willing to Wait Until End of Year On Mistral Deal

Russia is willing to wait until the end of the year for France to make good on the delivery of the first ship in two hull amphibious warship deal that has been held up since September.
Quoting an unnamed defense industry official, a news service said Russia was taking a wait and see approach with France’s suspension of the delivery of the two Mistral-class warships.
The first ship — Vladivostok — was supposed to be delivered to Russia in October but the transfer was suspended in September.
However, since then ultimate fate of the shipbuilding deal has been an open question and France has done little clarify its conditions other than saying there should be a ceasefire in Ukraine.
“The conditions have not today been met for delivering the [first] Mistral,” Finance Minister told France’s RTL radio in late October, following the release of an alleged letter from shipbuilder DCNS to the Russian agency Rosoboronexport giving a date for the transfer agency.
On Thursday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls repeated the Hollande administration position in a press conference in Belgrade.
As to what will happen if the deal doesn’t get completed by the end of the year is also unclear.
usni.org

France Denies That It’s Ready to Deliver Mistral Class Warship to Russia

President François Hollande’s government disputed on Thursday a Russian claim that France was preparing to hand over the first of two Mistral-class warships to Moscow in mid-November.
“The conditions have not today been met for delivering the Mistral,” Finance Minister Michel Sapin told RTL radio. Those conditions, he said, are a return to normalcy in Ukraine and “that Russia play a positive role there.”
He spoke a day after RIA Novosti, a state-controlled news agency in Russia, quoted the deputy prime minister, Dmitri O. Rogozin, saying that Moscow had received an invitation to take delivery of the first helicopter carrier Nov. 14. The report said the invitation, to Rosoboronexport, the Russian organization responsible for importing military goods, also included one to attend the so-called floating-out ceremony for the second.
In 2011, France signed a deal to build two Mistral-class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy. The agreement, calls for the first warship to be delivered in 2014. The ships carry helicopters, troops and landing craft, and they would give Russia the ability to carry out invasions across its neighboring seas.
France’s allies have been at best ambivalent about the deal. Robert M. Gates, the former United States defense secretary, had tried to dissuade the Sarkozy administration from helping to modernize the Russian military. Mr. Hollande has sought to honor the contract to preserve jobs at the STX France shipyard in the port city of St.-Nazaire. But Russia’s annexation of Crimea in March and its encouragement of separatists in eastern Ukraine have made it politically impossible to hand over the ships without a significant de-escalation of tensions.
DCNS, the French contractor responsible for building the warships, sought to clarify the situation in a statement Thursday morning. The company said it was “still awaiting the required export authorization to be granted by the French government.”
nytimes

France to Deliver First Mistral to Russia Around Mid-November

The ceremony for France handing over to Russia the first Mistral helicopter carrier will occur in mid-November of this year.
Earlier in September, French President threatened to suspend the deliveries of the ships over Moscow’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
In October, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov claimed that Moscow will sue France in case the obligations on the Mistral carriers are not fulfilled. Last week, the Russian Navy said the country is not dependent on France on the issue and is capable of building similar warships on its own.
defencetalk

France suspends delivery of Mistral Class warship to Russia over Ukraine

France suspended Wednesday the delivery of the first of two Mistral-class warships to Russia "until November" after fierce criticism from its allies given the crisis in Ukraine.
Paris agreed in 2011 to build and sell the two advanced helicopter assault ships to Russia, with the first scheduled for delivery in October or November and the second in 2015.
French leaders had refused to back down on a sale seen as crucial to a country suffering from stagnant growth and record unemployment, despite widespread condemnation due to Russia's involvement in the Ukraine crisis.
"The President of the Republic declared that, despite the prospect of a ceasefire, the conditions for France to deliver the first warship are not to date in place"
The statement came just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin raised hope of an end to the four-month war in the former Soviet republic, calling on pro-Kremlin rebels and government forces to cease fire and agree to the broad terms of a truce.
However, a French diplomatic source told AFP that the contract is only suspended until November.
Hollande had acknowledged that France might row back on the Mistral deal in a recent interview in French daily Le Monde, before widespread accusations that Russia had sent troops into eastern Ukraine.
The planned delivery of the warships had created outrage, with President Barack Obama expressing "concerns" about the proposed sales and saying it would have been better to "hit the pause button" on the deal.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, meanwhile, said it would be "unthinkable" to fulfil such a contract in his own country, sparking a sharp riposte from Paris, which noted there were "quite a few Russian oligarchs in London".
US State Department spokeswoman Psaki greeted the suspension of the delivery as "a wise decision".
A spokeswoman for NATO chiefsaid he "has always said this is a national decision and he was confident that France would take into account the security situation".
Moscow, on the other hand, played down the importance of the blow. Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yuriy Borisov said it was "not a tragedy for us in terms of rearmament".
Since the beginning of the summer, some 400 Russian sailors have been training in western France on the operation of the first warship, named "Vladivostok".
The concern in France is that the country will not only lose the receipts from the sale, but its credibility as a weapons exporter will also be compromised.
The suspension could have a major impact on jobs at the STX dockyards in Saint-Nazaire, where the ships are being built. Union leaders at the yard said they were "stupified" by the decision, particularly since the first ship was almost finished.
news.yahoo

Russia orders Ka-52K helicopters for Mistral-class LHDs

Russia has ordered a batch of 32 Kamov Ka-52K 'Hokum B' naval attack helicopters for the Russian Navy's Mistral-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessels.
Each Mistral-class LHD is capable of operating an air wing of around 16 naval helicopters, although their air group composition has yet to be finalised. One option could see the LHDs operating a mixed air group of eight Ka-52K strike helicopters and eight Ka-29TB 'Helix' assault transport helicopters. One or two Ka-27PS 'Helix-D' search-and-rescue helicopters may also be included. No order has yet been placed for other potential elements of the Mistral's air wing, although these could be drawn from existing stocks.
The main technological challenge that the Mistral-class will present to the Russian Navy is the need to adapt them, given that they have been built in compliance with civil-use standards and requirements - rather than to military standards.
The two Mistral-class vessels in production for the Russian Navy have been modified compared with the baseline version for the French Navy. These changes include changes in hull construction to enable them to be used in northern latitudes, including in ice conditions. The height of the vessels has also been increased due to modifications to the ships' internal hangars to allow them to accommodate large helicopters like the Ka-52K and Ka-27PS.
The vessels have been modified for the installation of extra armament, including anti-air systems and large calibre automatic weapon stations for combating surface threats, to enable the Russian Navy to use them in the open sea with a smaller escort.
janes

Russia Could Build Mistral-Class Ships on Its Own if France cancels contract

Russia has the capability to build Mistral-class helicopter carriers on its own if France breaches the existing contract and fails to prove it is a reliable partner, according Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister.
“The French must prove they are serious partners and reliable contractors," Minister said.
Russia and France signed a $1.6 billion deal for two Mistral-class helicopter carriers in June 2011.
Under the contract, the first ship, the Vladivostok, is to be delivered to Russia by the end of the year, while the second, the Sevastopol, is due in 2015.
The United States is pressuring France to renege on the deal in light of Russia’s alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis.
British Prime Minister also criticized Paris for its plan to sell Mistral ships to Russia and called the deal “unthinkable."
At the same time, Paris said it is still committed to the deal.
The vessels are capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 70 armored vehicles and 450 soldiers each, and are expected to be deployed with Russia’s Pacific Fleet.
ria.ru

Russian Sailors To Begin Mistral Training June 22

400 Russian sailors are expected on June 22 to start training on the Mistral-class helicopter carrier.
Russian training ship Smolny, carrying sailors is due to sail on June 18 for Saint-Nazaire, France.
Initial training on the first Russian Mistral, Vladivostock, will consist of familiarization with the ship and its equipment.
The French authorities are due to decide in October whether to hand over the helicopter carrier to Russia. Moscow has insisted on Paris observing the contract for two ships and held out prospects for further business, or pay a hefty compensation if the vessels are withheld.
defensenews

Russian Navy Chief Attends Mistral Lay-Down Ceremony in France

The Commander of the Russian Navy, Admiral Viktor Chirkov, will attend an official keel laying ceremony on Friday for the first Mistral-class amphibious assault ship being built at a French shipyard for Russia.
Construction of the warship, named Vladivostok, began last year at the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire, after Russia made an advance payment as part of the 1.2-billion euro deal for two French-built Mistral vessels, which was signed in June 2011.
The ceremony on Friday involves the placement of the first bow section into a dry dock. The Russian Embassy in France has confirmed the event is taking place but said it would be off-limits to the press.

Ria Novosti