The two countries signed Friday the contract of sale of two helicopter carriers.
France and Russia have officially signed the agreement Friday for the sale to Moscow by the shipyards in Saint-Nazaire two helicopter carrier ship Mistral. The contract was signed on the sidelines of the forum in St. Petersburg in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the French Minister of Foreign Trade, Pierre Lellouche. "A page of history is being turned. For the first time that Russia is importing arms and the first time since the end of the Second World War that the West is selling a warship to Russia ", welcomed the minister, long known for its tendencies Americanophile.
The contract is valued at 1.12 billion euros, a sum that includes technology transfer worth around 220 million euros. In this case communication systems and the parameters of the ship.
Both boats will be built in Loire-Atlantique, which represents a workload of four years for about 1000 people. However, the Russians will provide from their own yards a part of the blocks for the final assembly, respectively 20% and 40% of the first and second vessels. In the case of metal parts.
To achieve this, both parties had to agree on the parameters of technology transfer, the most difficult negotiations. "All technologies promises were passed," said Anatoly Icaïkin, the Director General of the Russian agency Rosoboronexport arms. For its part, Paris minimizes the magnitude of these transfers, some of which were simply prohibited under the military conventions between France to NATO. The newspaper Vedomosti, France would still have agreed to provide the license to build a combat system called Q 9, provided that 80% of this sale is paid immediately.
Difficult negotiations
Doubts remain on the French side on the ability of Russian shipyards - older and suffering from under-investment - to be completed in due time their industrial obligations. A source close to the talks, the first ship to be delivered within 18 months and the second by 36 months. OSK shipyards, de facto controlled by the Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, have the upper hand in the process of building the Russian side.
Meanwhile, negotiations are expected to open soon on the delivery of third and fourth boats Mistral, constructed mainly by Russian shipyards (60% and 80%). But this time Paris and Moscow are unable to announce any deadline for conclusion. The talks ahead even more difficult than those that led to the contract yesterday. It is not excluded that they may fail.
France sell battleships to Russia
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Originally Posted by MathiasOfAthens
