23.03.2012
According to Periscope2 referred to Algerian sources, expecting the semicentenary of military procurement independence, Algeria turns eyes not to Paris or Moscow but other European capitals.
Having spent EUR 450 mln for Italian-made amphibious ship and modernized two ships in Spain, Algerian Navy is on the threshold of a contract with German shipyard
TKMS which is affiliate of
ThyssenKrupp concern.
Algeria is going to spend EUR 2.5 bln for two
Meko-class frigates and six
Super Lynx helicopters. The ships will be armed with pretty powerful weapons: Swedish anti-ship missiles
RBS 15 MkIII, South African air defense system
Umkhonto and air-to-ground missiles
Mokopa, gun mounts
Oto Melara and
Rheinmetall, and German-made torpedoes.
However, such contract with the unstable country fighting against terror may bring problems to Berlin. After a decision to export 200 tanks
Leopard 2A7 to Saudi Arabia and a diesel submarine to Israel, the contract with Algeria may provoke internal debates in Germany regarding military exports to "unethical" countries.
Overall sum of the contract may detonate controversies. According to a source in
TKMS, price on
Meko frigates for Algerians is twice as high as market value. That information was confirmed by representative of Algerian shipbuilding company
ECRN in Mers-el-Kebir.
This deal is very important for
TKMS; latest contract for its surface ships was tied with South Africa in 1999.
