Russia Awaiting Info on French Ship Bid: Minister

[SpArK]

Russia Awaiting Info on French Ship Bid: Minister


AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Published: 8 Sep 2010 11:21

MOSCOW - Russia on Sept. 8 said it was awaiting from France the financial details of a French bid to supply helicopter carriers to the Russian navy, after Moscow threw open the contract to an international tender.

Moscow had been negotiating with Paris for months to buy the Mistral-class ships, in its first-ever purchase of military hardware from a NATO member state. But talks have been mired by disputes over technology transfer.


"We are expecting the detailed financial conditions" from France, said Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

"We will examine them and then refer to experts, not just in Russia but also abroad," he added.

Serdyukov was returning from a visit to Paris alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov where he had held talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy.

After the talks, Sarkozy's office said it was still "confident" to win the deal.

Serdyukov has said the international tender will take place in September, for two ships and the producer of the Mistral - France's STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire - would be allowed to bid.

The deal is reportedly worth about 600 million euros ($765 million) and would secure jobs in French yards, but France's NATO allies have expressed concern about arming Russia with modern Western weaponry.

The throwing open of the tender came after the umbrella organization of public Russian shipbuilders complained that handing the contract to France without a tender could be illegal.

Other candidates could include Russia's Zvezda shipbuilder in the Far East which has a joint venture with South Korea's Daewoo Marine Shipbuilding and Engineering.

---------- Post added at 03:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:18 PM ----------

 

[redpearl75]

Russia Agrees To Buy France's Mistral Ship: Report


MOSCOW - Russia has in principal agreed to a deal to buy a Mistral helicopter carrier from France and the forthcoming tender will be a formality, a senior Navy official was quoted as saying on Sept. 21.

Russia has been negotiating with France for months to buy the Mistral-class ships, in its first ever purchase of military hardware from a member of NATO.

But talks have been mired by disputes over technology transfer.

In August, Russia said it had thrown open its planned purchase of the vessel to an international tender, ending France's status as the exclusive bidder.

But the Interfax news agency quoted an unidentified senior Navy official as saying the tender would be a mere formality as Russia and France had already agreed on the parameters of the deal.

"The tender to purchase the helicopter carrier, which will be announced before the end of September, will be of a formal character," he said, Interfax reported.

The tender's primary purpose would be to lower the price to a maximum low, he was quoted as saying.

"The tender is formed in such a way as to practically predetermine the victory of the French ship," Interfax quoted the official as saying.

The deal is reportedly worth around 600 million euros ($765 million) and would secure jobs in the French yards, but France's NATO allies have expressed concern about arming Russia with modern Western weaponry.

 

[redpearl75]

 

[jha]

I would love to see some of these or, Juan Carlos class ships in IN.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

originally posted by jha
"I would love to see some of these or, Juan Carlos class ships in IN. "

@ Jha
Nice ships undoubtedly.
i'm pretty sure something that something is already cooking, DCNS is likely to be in the kitchen as well; whether as "Chef de cuisine" or "Sous-chef" is to be seen!
Given that MOD(N) has a full fledged Design Bureau which is quite (justifiably based on their performance) obsessed with indigenous construction; the Indian version of LPD/Helo carrier will be "India specific". And i am willing to speculate that this project will go to a private ship-yard viz. Pipavav etc.
What do you think?

 

[jha]

I am in favor of giving this project to private shipyards. They need atleast this to sustain themselves . AFAIK Pipavav has the capacity to build the LHDs.
Like you said something is cooking, even i have heard some rumors but since nothing has come out in public so cant say anything. But in a year or, two we may have the announcement.
BTW my favorite is Mistral based ships.