Contract on Mistrals can be signed in Apr 2011

04.02.2011 Rosoboronexport is about to sign a procurement contract for Mistral class landing ships with French company DCNS in Apr 2011, reported Thursday Russian defense ministry.

As was previously reported by RIA Novosti referring to a source involved in negotiations, the contract can be signed before Apr 30, 2011.

According to defense ministry, delegation of FSUE Rosoboronexport in February "will visit France to continue talks with DCNS on the contract's content and conditions". "The contract is expected to be signed at the end of the first (beginning of the second) quarter of 2011", said the release.

"The most important condition of the deal is transfer of French advanced technologies to Russia, including those in shipbuilding, designing of information control systems and telecommunications facilities, as well as transfer of license and appropriate documentation for building ships in Russia", reports Russian defense ministry.

An agreement settling these conditions was signed by Russian vice premier Igor Sechin and French defense minister Alain Juppe on Jan 25 in Saint-Nazaire (France). At that time the head of Rosoboronexport Anatoly Isaikin told to RIA Novosti that the intergovernmental agreement had specified neither deadlines nor costs of the future contract.

RIA Novosti reported in Dec 2010 referring to a source involved in negotiations that the first Mistral class ship for Russia would be constructed in France late in 2013 (early in 2014), the second one – late in 2014 (early in 2015); two other ships would be build in Russia under French license.

Assault landing ship Mistral has displacement of 21,000 tons; overall length is 210 meters; speed is over 18 knots; operational range is up to 20,000 miles; crew is 160 men plus 450 marines. Air wing consists of 16 helicopters; six of them can be simultaneously placed on the flight deck.