France, Germany to set naval consortium

05.08.2011 According to Financial Times Deutschland, France and Germany are about to establish a naval consortium, a sort of "naval EADS". Governments of both countries could be involved in the negotiations as well.

France and Germany are on the threshold of joint naval consortium, writes Financial Times Deutschland on Aug 1. According to the newspaper, leadership of French defense shipyard DCNS and German company ThyssenKrupp as well as governments of both countries participate in the talks.

Reportedly, France has been striving for integration with Germany's naval capabilities for a long time; in particular, Nicolas Sarkozy many times touched upon this issue talking with German chancellor Angela Merkel. However, keeping in mind problems with French contribution to European aerospace concern EADS, Germany was not so enthusiastic over naval industrial alliance with France, writes the newspaper.

This initiative evolved when the 2-year long negotiations between ThyssenKrupp and Arabian investors had finally failed. As is reported, in the prospective "naval EADS" France could be responsible for surface ships, and Germany – for designing and construction of submarines.

Representative of ThyssenKrupp told to DPA news agency on Aug 1 that negotiations with DCNS were not held at the moment. Cooperation in torpedo designing is being carried out with the French company, emphasized the ThyssenKrupp spokesman. Germany's federal government refused to comment information released by Financial Times Deutschland.

DCNS is a partner of Russian armed forces; in particular, there is an agreement providing construction of two Mistral-class landing ships in Saint-Nazaire, France and other two – under license in Russia.