14.09.2009
Russia will issue a tender for purchase of new helicopter carrier, says ITAR-TASS referring to Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Vysotsky.
According to his words, the negotiations of purchase French
Mistral-type ship are currently carrying on; however, not only French companies will compete in the trend but also Spanish and Dutch ones.
"We do not negotiate with the US for the simple reasons", remarked Vysotsky. "They are sensitive about the matters of any military technology transferred to Russia", the Commander added.
He stressed the point that the state is going to buy not only a helicopter carrier but also its production technology. The Navy Commander added that the country had no infrastructure to accept such kind of a ship yet.
Speaking about the necessity of a helicopter carrier for Russian Navy, Vysotsky said that if Russia had a
Mistral-type ship during the conflict with Georgia last year, the Black Sea Fleet would accomplish its task in 40 min but not in 26 hours. Missile cruiser
Moskva, corvette
Smetlivy and support ships approached Georgian sea border then. One Georgian missile boat was shipwrecked.
It was previously reported that the Russian party had shown interest not only in French
Mistral but also in Dutch
Rotterdam-class heli-carriers.
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