USA: Russia should not get Mistralli

NATO should bite the helicopter carriers of the Mistral class by order of Russia. This was stated by the Minister of Naval Forces Ray Mabus during an aerospace and defense summit in Washington, BBC reports .

Mabus called on US European partners to do everything so that Russia did not receive French ships at all. “We have already declared our concern regarding Russia's transfer of these ships. I think we need to consider all possible ways so that they do not fall into the hands of Russia, as this will give her weapons, which she does not have now,” the minister emphasized.

On September 3, France refused to transfer to Russia the first of two Mistrals. “The conditions for France approved the supply of the first helicopter carrier to date,” the administration of President Francois Ollanda explained this decision. The refusal of the transfer of Mistral was linked to the war in Ukraine. As noted in the statement, "the recent actions of Russia in eastern Ukraine contradict the foundations of European security."

The next day, Hollande called the conditions for the transfer of the "Mistrals" of Russia to the ceasefire and the political settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. France does not intend to break the contract with Russia, the president added, however, in the event of further complications, the supply of helicopter carriers will be postponed.

Later it became known that the tests of the first ship planned on September 10 were postponed. Two months ago, the future team of the vessel consisting of 400 Russian sailors arrived in the French port of Saint-Naser, on the shipyards of which the first Mistral ends.

On Monday, the Minister of Industry Denis Manturov said thatRussia itself can build analogues of helicopters if the appropriate task is set. According to him, "it was an international cooperation: filling, management system, was Russian." The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade noted that "the military doctrine will not change this," but "it is insulting that infrastructure was preparing for this."

A contract worth 1.12 billion euros for the construction of helicopter carriers for France for the Russian Navy was signed in June 2011. Russia has already paid about 700 million euros. France can wait for a fine of 251 million euros for failure to fulfill the conditions of ship supply.