The case of "Mistral" in the eyes of the French press

Moscow And Paris passed a conclusion on termination of validity of the contract for construction And supply of 2 ships-docks type " Mistral ". Termination of the contract led to a broad discussion in the French media as the causes And consequences of such decision And the upcoming helicopter.

the contract for production And delivery of 2 helicopter carrier type "Mistral" price of 1, 2 billion euros was signed between the French DCNS/STX And Rosoboronexport in 2011. France had to give the 1st ship "Vladivostok" in November of last year, But due to the events in Ukraine that has not yet been.


conclusion on termination of validity of the contract has been accepted by the presidents of Russia And France Vladimir Putin And Francois Hollande. On the question of why the Russian And French leaders turned out " so quickly to come to an agreement ", says the journalist of the edition. Review journalist, both sides equally wanted as soon as possible to resolve the issue." the President of Russia needs cash in conditions when his country is in crisis. Moreover, the Russian Navy has always had a negative attitude to the purchase of the French helicopter carrier And pressured the Kremlin to terminate the deal, " - emphasizes the log. Paris, for its part, "paid to much for the content of "Mistral" in San Nazaire ", And was also showed interest as soon as possible to solve the problem.

the reporter adds that the ultimate resolution of the situation, for a long time hindered the development of French-Russian relations, "satisfied all parties" because it was achieved by diplomatic means, i.e., " the negotiating table ". According to the source, who spoke to the journalist, the deal on the "Mistral" is highly associated with the middle East crisis: "We cannot solve the problems of the Middle East by military means alone. To achieve a comprehensive solution to these conflicts, we need Iran And Russia. That's why the key word (in communication - ed.) with Putin - de-escalation ".


After the termination of the Franco-Russian Treaty to the French specialists will have to "deducibility "" Mistral ", that is, to dismantle specific equipment, made to order. The dismantling of the system of heating of the deck, fix the telephone system And Cyrillic interface equipment can be costly France, said the magazine.

"ultimately, this story may have cost us one to 2 billion euros ", - quotes the print edition of the words of the expert on weapons research center Iris Philip Migo. The people's Deputy of the National Assembly (the lower chamber of Parliament) of France Thierry Mariani also suggests that " the bill, which will put French taxpayers (for conversion), will be from 1, 5 to 1, 6 billion Euro, informs the print edition.

And although the head of the Ministry of defense of France Jean-Yves Le Drian assured on Thursday that the maximum payments will amount to no more than 1, 2 billion, this amount represents only compensation to Russia for Termination " has not absorbed the cost of the conversion helicopter that will be covered by the French state budget, says the magazine.


after it became clear that the "Mistral" will not go to Russia, more and More often began to be discussed the question of the future of helicopter carrier, namely, whether will find France a new buyer or leave of the court itself. To the question I tried to answer the journalist of the French newspaper. My review publication, he begins with the Declaration of the country's defense Minister Le Drian on Thursday the radio station RTL said that " certain countries, they are already interested in these ships." Review Parisien journalist, new buyers have the opportunity to become Canada, Brazil, India And Egypt.

the journalist recalls that the idea of buying off the 2 helicopter Canada was first publicly revealed in may 2014 by the Senator-conservative Hugh Segal." Resistant to low temperatures the body And landing strip "Mistral" have the opportunity to submit a special benefit For Canadians who are trying to strengthen their presence in the Arctic ocean ", - explained in the publication.

Brazil, seeking ways to " assert Their independence in the face of the US ", but at the moment, with only frigates And one vertoletonostsa, also sees the publication of a potential buyer. However, says Parisien, even if it will come back on the purchase by Brazil of the helicopter, they are likely to become "Sirroco" the class of vessels prior to the generation of " Mistral ".

review of the newspaper, "excellent solution" to the problem may be the sale of "Mistral" of India, as the country already has a " small Russian equipment." Finally, the event of opening a new channel of the Suez canal in Egypt provided that "the relationship between France And Egypt are excellent, and the purchase by Egypt multi-purpose frigate FREMM has the opportunity to be only the beginning of the propensity of the North African country to the products marked" made in France ", the magazine concludes.

"Simplest" solution, according to Parisien, is the preservation of helicopter for France, However, during the crisis period, when it is necessary to reduce public expenditure, the two "extra" helicopter carrier, which will require expenditures for maintenance And operation, " not of interest To the French army ".


sections: Politics