Mistral deal: dispute between Russia and France

Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin declared that the first helicopter carrier would be handed over to Russia on November 14, although the statement was not confirmed by France

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The Mistral class is a class of three amphibious assault ships, also known as a helicopter carrier, of the French Navy

The Mistral-type helicopter carriers have a displacement of 21 tons, the maximum body length of 210 meters, the speed of 18 knots and the range of up to 20,000 miles

Photo: France's Mistral assault ship moored on Lieutenant Schmidt Embankment in St Petersburg

The Mistral class ship is capable of carrying 16 helicopters, of which six can be simultaneously stored on the flight-deck, and several dozen armored vehicles

The helicopter carrier can accommodate 450 people in addition to its crew of 180. Photo: French naval officer on the bridge of France's Mistral assault ship

The €1.12 billion contract for building two Mistral-type ships was signed by the Russian defense exporting company Rosoboronexport and French DCNS in June 2011 Photo: French Navy Mistral amphibious assault ship arrived for a visit to St. Petersburg, 23 November 2009

The first Mistral-class ship, the Vladivostok, was expected to be delivered by late 2014. Photo: View of the bridge and Heliport 1 on the flight deck of France's Mistral assault ship

The second ship, the Sevastopol, was due to arrive next year. Both warships are being contructed at the STX shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, in western France. Photo: Landing barges in the well deck of France's Mistral amphibious assault ship

Photo: Vladivostok, a Mistral class vessel at shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, 19 March 2014

Although the question of its handover remained suspended, Vladivostok made a test voyage with Russian sailors on board in september

On September 3 French President Francois Hollande said that France did not see enough conditions for supplying the first Mistral ship to Russia. Photo: launching of the aft of Russian Navy Mistral class amphibious assault ship Sevastopol at Baltic Shipyard, April 30, 2014

On October 29 Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin declared that the first helicopter carrier would be handed over to Russia on November 14. France will have to pay Russia a penalty, if it fails to fulfill the contract

France does not confirm Russia’s statements it will have the helicopter carrier on November 14. Photo: The launching of the stern section of the first Russian-made Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, at Baltic Shipyard

The €1.12 billion contract for building two Mistral-type ships was signed by the Russian defense exporting company Rosoboronexport and French DCNS in June 2011. On October 29, 2014 Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin declared that the first helicopter carrier would be handed over to Russia on November 14, although the statement was not confirmed by France. France will have to pay Russia a penalty, if it fails to fulfill the contract. Images of the disputed assault ship in this photo gallery by TASS.