DCNS shipyard in Saint-Nazaire recently held a launching ceremony for Russia’s first Mistral-class helicopter carrier named Vladivostok.
The vessel will receive its additional Russian systems at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St. Petersburg, and then be handed over to Russia’s Pacific Fleet in November 2014, reports RIA Novosti.
Displacement of Mistral-class assault landing ship is 21,000 tons; length overall is 210 meters; speed is over 18 knots; operating range is up to 20,000 miles; crew is 160 men plus 450 marines. Air wing comprises 16 helicopters including six placed on the flight deck. Russian Mistrals will be armed with eight Ka-52K and eight Ka-29 helicopters.
Agreement on Mistral ships is one of the largest contracts in the history of Russian-French military cooperation. Moscow and Paris signed the EUR 1.2-bln contract for two Mistrals in June 2011.
The second ship is planned to join the Russian Navy in 2015.
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DCNS, October 17, 2013