The decision on the purchase of the Mistral warship by Russia has been actually taken and the basic parameters and financial terms of the upcoming contract have been agreed with the French side. This statement was made by a senior official of the General Staff of the Russian Navy, Interfax reports. The tender for the helicopter carrier contact, to be announced before the end of September by the Defense Ministry, “actually, would be just a formality," the source said.
The main objective of the tender "is not to choose the contractor, but to knock down as much as possible the transaction cost," the official said.
The Russian Defense Ministry had earlier planned to buy the Mistral helicopter carrier in France. In this case, the bidding for contract was not mentioned. After a number of Russian enterprises said they would be willing to build a similar ship at domestic shipyards, the Defense Ministry announced the preparation of the tender for the supply of the Mistral class warships.
The French multi-purpose Mistral class helicopter carrier is designed to transport troops and cargo, the landing, and can also be used as a headquarters ship. The warship LOA - 199 meters, breadth - 32 meters. The ship is able to carry on board 16 helicopter gunships, 40 tanks and some 70 vehicles. In addition to 160 crew members the warship can accommodate about 150 marines. The Mistral is armed with air defense, artillery systems and heavy machine guns.
The main objective of the tender "is not to choose the contractor, but to knock down as much as possible the transaction cost," the official said.
The Russian Defense Ministry had earlier planned to buy the Mistral helicopter carrier in France. In this case, the bidding for contract was not mentioned. After a number of Russian enterprises said they would be willing to build a similar ship at domestic shipyards, the Defense Ministry announced the preparation of the tender for the supply of the Mistral class warships.
The French multi-purpose Mistral class helicopter carrier is designed to transport troops and cargo, the landing, and can also be used as a headquarters ship. The warship LOA - 199 meters, breadth - 32 meters. The ship is able to carry on board 16 helicopter gunships, 40 tanks and some 70 vehicles. In addition to 160 crew members the warship can accommodate about 150 marines. The Mistral is armed with air defense, artillery systems and heavy machine guns.