If this isn't a sign of the apocalypse, I don't know what is. Russia is looking to buy 2 helicopter carriers, and the company that is considered the front runner is French.
Since when does Russia buy western military hardware?
For the record, the article I clipped was auto-translated from French-English.
Read more at www.aerocontact.com
YEREVAN, August 20 (Reuters) - Russia will launch an international tender for the purchase of two helicopter carriers for its navy said Friday that the Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov.
The latter said that the Russian Defense planned to choose the manufacturer of these ships by the end of the year.
"We are talking of two vessels for the moment," he told reporters in the Armenian capital where he was accompanying Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Yet Russia has discussed for months with France on the acquisition of buildings and projection command (PCB) type Mistral.
President Nicolas Sarkozy had also assured last month that the sale to Russia of ships Mistral, which can carry helicopters, was acquired.
A leader of the shipyards had also said that the agreement should be finalized by the end of the year.
However, the Russian Minister of Defense said in May that Moscow also discussed this issue with Spain and the Netherlands.
Anatoly Serdyukov said Friday that the French shipyard DCN, including the specialist defense electronics Thales shareholder, were welcome if they wanted to participate in international bidding.
PRESSURES ON PARIS?
The announcement came a day after an article published by the Russian business daily Kommersant referring to the launch of such a tender, citing Roman Trofimenko, president of the United Shipbuilding Corporation public group.
On Thursday, the Elysee had expressed his confidence on the outcome of ongoing negotiations with Moscow.
"France sees no reason to worry about current developments. Conversations are continuing normally in a good background," he then said the French presidency.
Some analysts believe that Moscow is seeking with its tender to put pressure on Paris to obtain better conditions for the acquisition of vessels Mistral.
"It should not be excluded that the holding of such a tender could be aimed at obtaining a better price, better terms, (transaction) and, finally, transfer of technology ( by France to Russia), "said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow think tank.
He estimated that the acquisition of two ships to France Mistral cost up to 800 million euros.
(With Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow, Catherine and Alexander Monin Boksenbaum-Granier for the French service, edited by Gwénaëlle Barzic)
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