Russia, France Sign Mistral Deal: News Roundup

French-built Mistral class amphibious assault ship. © AFP/ Eric Feferberg

What’s Behind New Levels of Cooperation For Russia and France? -- Forbes/AP

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov and Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov are visiting Paris to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other French government officials on June 20-21. The visit quickly follows the conclusion of an agreement between Russia and France for two French Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, worth $1.7 billion, that France has agreed to sell to Russia with the full technology transfer Moscow demanded. The ships would be built in France and delivered in 2014 and 2015, with the potential for another two to be built in Russian shipyards under French supervision.

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More News On The Russian - French Mistral Agreement

Putin in France days after billion-dollar warship deal -- M&C
Procurement contract for Russian-French Mistral Class LHD signed. -- Maritime Propulsion
Mistrals to carry Russian copters -- Voice of Russia
Russia buys 2 warships from France -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Russia, France sign Mistral helicopter carrier deal -- Reuters
US lawmaker slams France-Russia warship deal -- AFP
France transfers sensitive warship technology to Russia -- RIA Novosti
Mistral: Flagship of friendship -- Alina Chernoivanova, RIA Novosti

France - Russia Reach Agreement On The Sale Of The Mistral-Class Warship

Mistral. © RIA Novosti

Presidents Say Russia, France Finalize Sale Of French Warships To Russia -- Washington Post

DEAUVILLE, France — The presidents of France and Russia say their countries have reached a definitive agreement on the sale of four French warships to Russia.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters at the Group of Eight summit in Deauville on Thursday that the deal on the sale of Mistral-class assault warships will be signed in the next two weeks.

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More News On France - Russia Reaching Agreement On the Sale of the Mistral-Class Warship

Russia, France agree to sign Mistral contract in 15 days -- RIA Novosti
France, Russia finalize warship sale at G8 summit -- Forbes/AP
France and Russia finalise warship deal -- Expatica

France And Russia Agree To Terms On Mistral Ships

Mistral-class helicopter carrier. © RIA Novosti. Aleksei Danichev

France Agrees To Supply Full-Spec Mistral Ships - Defense Ministry -- RIA Novosti

France and Russia have agreed that the Mistral-class helicopter carriers France will build for Russia will be fully equipped with the communication and control systems, a senior official in Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"Russia has reached an agreement with France that meets the Defense Ministry's demand to provide Mistral with the communications and other systems that would satisfy the requirements of the Navy," the source said.

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My Comment: I am sure that Russia's neighbors are going to notice (and not be pleased) by this development.

Russia Denies Problems With France On Mistral Purchase

Moscow dismisses report of deadlock in talks on Mistral purchase. © RIA Novosti

Moscow Dismisses Report Of Deadlock In Talks On Mistral Purchase -- RIA Novosti

Reports of an impasse in contractual talks between Russia and France on the purchase of Mistral class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy are false, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's spokesman said on Thursday.

Russia's Kommersant business daily reported on Thursday that last week's contractual talks between Russian state-arms exporter Rosoboronexport and French DCSN company, which were attended by government officials from both countries, resulted in deadlock.

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More News On The Russian Mistral Purchase

Russian Mistral Procurement Stalled -- Defpro
Russia denies snub in Mistral deal -- UPI
Russia and France in deadlock over Mistral cost: report -- New Age
Russia ready to pay 1.5 bln euros for Mistral contract - Defense Ministry -- RIA Novosti
Russia could pay 1.5 billion euros to France for Mistral class helicopter carriers -- Avionews

Russia Agrees To Buy Two Mistral Helicopter Carriers From France

The Mistral class landing platform docks can carry a full tank battalion. Military-Today.com

Russia Agrees To Landmark Purchase Of Two Warships From France -- Deutsche Welle

France and Russia have reached a landmark agreement to jointly build two Mistral-class warships for the Russian military, despite warnings from some NATO countries that the sale could undermine the alliance's allies.

Russia has agreed to contract a French-led consortium for the construction of two warships, the Russian and French governments announced on Friday.

French shipyard companies DCNS and STX would build the two Mistral-class warships along with Russia's state-run United Shipbuilding Corporation, known as OSK.

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More News On The French - Russian Agreement To Build Two Mistral Helicopter Carriers Together

Russia to buy two warships from France in major military deal -- Washington Post
Russia to buy two French Mistral-class warships -- BBC
French to help build 2 Russian navy ships -- CNN
The Mistral: France's amphibious assault ship -- Expatica.com
France to help Russia build copter carriers -- Voice of Russia
Russia, France to build two Mistral helicopters together -- ITAR-TASS
Factbox: Russia agrees to buy French helicopter carriers -- Reuters
Mistral class Amphibious assault ship (Specs) -- Military-Today.com

The New Russian - French Alliance

Presidents Medvedev and Sarkozy with their wives. (Photo from Foreign Policy)

Why France Is Selling Warships To Russia -- Time Magazine

As Russian President Dmitri Medvedev wound up a three-day state visit to Paris on Wednesday, he had to be pleased with the results. After all, he virtually cinched an unprecedented military deal, bagged a significant gas contract and watched his French host, President Nicolas Sarkozy, dismiss American and European misgivings about his embrace of Moscow by treating Medvedev like his newest best friend forever. There wasn't a whole lot for the Russian leader not to love.

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More News On Russian - French Relations

Paris agrees to sell warships to Russia -- Financial Times
Did Obama push Sarkozy into Russian arms? -- Foreign Policy
Nicolas Sarkozy angers allies with proposed warship sales to Russia -- The Guardian
Russian, French presidents speak of "common values" at dinner -- RIA Novosti
Icons and opposition mark Medvedev visit to Paris -- AP
Sarkozy shifts stance towards Russia -- Financial Times
Baltic countries wary over Russian-France military talks -- Vancouver Sun
Medvedev Looks To France To Modernize Russian Economy -- Radio Free Europe
Did Obama push Sarkozy into Russian arms? -- Foreign Policy

Mistral Sale To Russia -- News Analysis And Commentary

Reasons Why The Mistral BPC Sale Is A Bad Idea... -- Snafu

The Mistral sale to Russia is all but a done deal. Too bad. But Ares Blog is reporting it as fact... but I have more than a couple of issues with the sale...

1. The Mistral can act as a command ship. That means that high tech communication gear could make its way to Russian industry. Electronics are the key to the West's superiority. We'll be giving them the keys to the kingdom.
(all quotes from Wikipedia)

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Photo from Defpro News

More News On The Mistral BPC Sale To Russia

Russia Seeks to Boost its Naval Capabilities with French Mistral-class Vessels -- Defpro
French warship to Russia: Risky precedent or a cruise ship painted gray? -- Christian Science Monitor
NATO Head Does Not Object To Proposed French Warship Sale To Russia -- Radio Free Europe
French warship deal opens wound in EU and Nato -- EU Observer
French warships for Russia: storms ahead -- Times Online
Critics say proposed sale of French Mistral ship to Russia will harm region -- Washington Post
French-Russian Warship Deal Making Waves Among NATO Allies -- Radio Free Europe
'Deep concern' as French government sells high-tech warships to Russia -- Daily Mail
Gates Voices Concern About Warship Sale to Russia -- New York Times
France Begins Construction of Third Mistral-class BPC -- Defpro
Why is France selling amphibious assault ships to Russia? -- The Economist

France Agrees To Sell Warship(s) To France

The Mistral docked in Brest. (Photo: French Ministry of Defence)

France Agrees Warship Sale To Russia -- Reuters

PARIS, Feb 8 (Reuters) - France has agreed to sell a Mistral class warship to Russia, a French official said on Monday, despite concerns expressed by Georgia and other countries.

Russia wanted to buy the 21,300-tonne helicopter carrier from France to modernise hardware that was exposed as outdated in its five-day war against Georgia in 2008.

"France has agreed to sell one Mistral warship to Russia," a Defence Ministry official told reporters.

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More News On The French Sale of A Mistral Class Warship to Russia

France and Russia in warship deal -- BBC
France approves sale of Mistral warship to Russia -- RIA Novsoti
French officials say France agrees to sell Russia an advanced warship, considering 3 more -- Canadian Press
Russian navy wants four Mistral warships, as French arms sales rocket -- FRI
Russia Wants 4 Amphibs From France: French Ministry -- Georgian Daily/AFP
US, France clash over an arms sale to Russia - Summary -- Earth Times

Sould We Be Concerned About The French Sale Of A French Amphibious Assault Ship To Russia?

The French Amphibious Assault Ship The Mistral. Image from The Free Republic.

GOP Senators Send Letter Expressing Concern Over French Arms Sale To Russia -- The Cable/Foreign Policy

Last week, The Cable brought you the story of the Mistral, the class of French amphibious assault ship that might be sold to the Russians over the objections of Baltic states and Georgia.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, put forward a bill calling on the Obama administration to try to stop the potential sale. The Russians are in violation of the agreement struck after last year's Georgian war, the bill asserts, along with several other concerns.

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My Comment: Is is interesting that it is only the GOP who are voicing concerns on this sale, but Congressional Democrats and the White House are staying mum on the issue.

High-Tech Ship From France Scares Russia's Neighbors

French Warship In Russia Amid Talks On Landmark Sale -- Reuters

ST PETERSBURG (Reuters) - A French helicopter carrier of a type Paris hopes to sell to Moscow docked in Saint Petersburg on Monday following talks on the deal, which would be greeted with unease by Georgia and the United States.

The Mistral-class warship, which can be used in amphibious assaults and can carry tanks and other armoured vehicles docked near the Admiralty building, the tsarist-era navy headquarters.

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The French Navy Sails Into St. Petersburg

France shows off their cutting-edge navy ship in Russia -- Yahoo News/AP
French Warship in Arms Deal Arrives in Russia -- Defense News
French warship Russia wants stirs debate -- UPI
French Warship Russia Wants Stirs Debate -- Official Wire
French warship in arms deal arrives in St. Petersburg -- RIA Novosti
Estonia frets over Russia buying warship -- UPI
Estonia worried if Russia will buy a French helicopter carrier -- Avionews
Estonia to take measures in Baltic Sea if Russia will buy French warship -- News.Az
Putin to travel to France next week -- RIA Novosti