Look for winds in the sea

The Russian state will buy four large helicopter carriers "Mistral" from France

The amount of the contract is estimated at € 1.5 billion. If the transaction that Presidents Medvedev and Sarkozy agreed in Paris will take place, then this will become a sensation: Russia will first purchase weapons, and besides, the country that is part of NATO. However, this transaction has a lot of opponents, above all, in France itself. What happened behind the scenes - I found out The New Times

Last fall, a telephone rang in the secretariat of the Elisean Palace - on the other end of the wire was a famous French intellectual, philosopher and a longtime opponent of Putin's Russia Andre Gluxman. He asked for a rendezvous with the President of France on a “very important” issue for the fate of Europe and the world. The request was satisfied. Gluxman was soon accepted by Nicolas Sarkozy. After some time, the content of their conversation was the property of the general public: who was the first to talk, now it doesn’t matter. Glumsman, having heard about the intention of Sarczya to conclude a deal with Moscow to sell several landing helicopters “Mistral” - the pride of the French Navy, was horrified. The broken hour he urged the president to abandon these "crazy" plans. After all, it is clearer than clear: the Russian General Staff will use these ships to pacify the rebellious neighbors in the post -Soviet space, Georgia in the first place. Doesn't they understand this in the Champs Elysees?

The choice of Nicolas

Sarkozy listened to Gluxman, but did not listen. On the way to a sensational deal with Moscow, about which was officially announced during the day of the day of the visit to Paris of the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, Sarkozy overcame a much more powerful resistance - part of his apparatus, officials of the French Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President was taken by the Prime Minister Francois Fiion, part of the deputies of the National Assembly and the shipbuilders trade union, of which the contract with Moscow, of course, is insured by the threat of mass layoffs. Most likely, as Sarkozy wants, Moscow will be sold by two Mistrals, built on shipyards in Saint-Sazer, and two more Russians will collect themselves under the French license.

Terrible wind

“Mistral” * * Cold Northwest Wind, characteristic of the Mediterranean coast of France in the spring months. - The New Times. - A multi -purpose ship. Even without electronic filling and weapons - and Moscow will put “goods” in this option - it is a formidable offensive weapon. For the first time in the entire post -war history, the country - a member of NATO sells a weapon of Russia's strategic purpose - yesterday's probable enemy. A country in which anti -NATO and anti -Western complexes and phobias are not just very tenacious - they still largely form foreign policy and military doctrines. Often you have to hear that Sarkozy would never have gone without sanction for this. Not at all! Paris decided about the Mistrals, not consulting with anyone, and even not especially worried about a possible reaction in other NATO capitals. Unless in Vilnius, in order to muffle the rumble of dissatisfaction in the Baltic states, in February, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Pierre Lelush was urgently sent. This, perhaps, the diplomatic support of the transaction is exhausted.

"Mistral" in exchange for sanctions?

Sarkozy, having started a bold game with Moscow, subconsciously felt another feature of the historical moment: the Obama administration is much more absorbed in Asia than Europe, and is not much interested in European affairs, thereby stimulating the demand for bold decisions at the European theater. On the other hand, Washington himself develops new approaches in relations with Moscow. After all, formally, the Americans, taking advantage of their status in NATO, had the right to block the deal on the Mistrals, especially since they used American technologies. But they did not think to do this. The case did not go further than the oral “concern” of the chief Pentagon Robert Gates and the open letter of the congressman group. Another incentive for sarcose was the readiness of Dmitry Medvedev to seriously discuss the issue of new sanctions against Iran. Now Iranian dossier is in the list of priorities of Paris. In order to achieve support from Moscow on this issue, in return it needs to demonstrate a fundamentally different level of trust, the owner of the Champs Elysees decided.
It is possible to integrate Russia into Europe, only in a new business with it-such is another and, perhaps, the most important element of the foreign policy structure of the sarcose. He deliberately crossed a certain line, for which Western politicians did not cross in relations with Moscow before. He gave the Kremlin an unprecedented credit of trust: having expired and returning it, without abandoning imperial ambitions, not becoming a little by a predictable legal state, Russia will carve itself. And the hope of her ambitious young president to modernize with the help of Western technologies will be another illusions.

"Mistral" -

A class of universal landing ships of the French Navy, which can perform the functions of a landing and vibrant ship, military transport, a floating hospital and control ship. It is able to carry up to 16 helicopters, 4 tank -marked boats or 2 airbags. Plus 450 paratroopers (it is possible to take on board up to 900 people for a short time).
The size of the cargo deck - one and a half football fields
(122 m x 13.5 m).
Length: by waterline - 189 m, maximum - 199 m.
Width: 32 m.
Sedimentation: 6.2 m.
Clotting: standard - 16,500 tons, full - 21,300 tons.
Autonomy of swimming: 30 days.
Crew: 160 people (20 officers) plus 450 people and 150 staff staff.
It was launched in October 2004.
In the ranks - from December 2005.
Cost ~ € 500 million.
Currently, the France of the French Navy are two ships of this class: “Mistral” and “Toner”. According to a number of experts, Mistral is not the most successful ship of this class. It is inferior to the American “USPU” in speed (18.8 versus 24 knots), the number of helicopters (16 against 48 helicopters and 5 aircraft), defensive weapons and a number of other indicators.