Russia has a project of a helicopter carrier with characteristics superior to those of Mistral ships. IAA PortNews reporter cites RF Navy Commander Admiral Victor Chirkov as saying at the Seventh International Maritime Defence Show in Saint-Petersburg.
USC President Aleksei Rakhmanov, in his turn, said that the Corporation had commenced comprehensive upgrading of the North West shipyards which would be able to undertake such projects.
The EUR 1.2 bln contract to supply two Mistral-class ships was signed between the French shipbuilding company DCNS and Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport in June of 2011.
The first ship, the Vladivostok, was to be delivered to Russia in 2014 with the second one, the Sevastopol, to arrive in 2015. Though he United States were against the delivery, DCNS insisted that the sanctions imposed on Russia by the USA would not hinder the construction and transfer of Mistral ships.
Mistral-class helicopter carriers have a displacement of 21,000 t, hull length max - 210 m, speed max - 18 knots, range max – 20,000 miles. Mistral’s air wing consists of 16 Ka-52K helicopters.
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