First of all, I will answer the question - what is "Mistral". This is a class of universal landing helicopter carrier ships in service with the French Navy. The ship is capable of performing four tasks at once: landing military units on land, receiving helicopters, being a command center and a floating hospital. The ship can simultaneously accommodate a landing force of 450 people (short-term up to 900 people) and up to 16 helicopters weighing 12 tons. A hangar with an area of 1800 square meters is provided for them. meters.
UDC "Vladivostok". Computer graphics .
On December 24, 2010, Russia and France announced an agreement to build two Mistral helicopter carriers at a French shipyard. Two more ships of this type are expected to be built under license in Russia. At the end of December 2012, rumors appeared about the cancellation of the construction of the third and fourth buildings.
Ship tests of the Ka-52 helicopter in Severomorsk. Ka-52 landing on the Vice-Admiral Kulakov BOD
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The first ship is planned to be built within 36 months, the second - within 48 months. Russia is performing 20% of the construction of the first Mistral-class helicopter carrier at the STX shipyards in Saint-Nazaire. When concluding a contract for the construction of ships, France transferred to Russia all the technologies it was interested in, including the Zenit-9 system and others. All navigation and technological equipment on the ship, including combat navigation, will be French.
UDC "Dixmude" of the French Navy. Bookmark
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On the helicopter carrier it is planned to place Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-52K (“Alligator”) helicopters on the hangar deck. When the Mistral UDC visited St. Petersburg, test landings of helicopters on the deck were carried out. There will be changes to the elevator openings on the ship - they are not high enough for the Ka-29, and they will be enlarged.
UDC "Dixmude" of the French Navy under construction
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According to information from the general designer of the Kamov Design Bureau, Sergei Mikheev, Russian Mistral-class ships will accommodate 16 helicopters in a combination of 8 Ka-52K + 8 Ka-29, that is, eight combat and eight transport, but this combination can be changed depending on assigned tasks (RIA Novosti).
I can’t say anything about the weapons and means of landing troops, since there is new information in the press every month. Some say that the ship will carry landing boats of Project 21280 "Dugong", others say about Project 11770 "Serna", in general, nothing is clear. I would really like to see something ours, and not bought abroad.
Let's get back to building ships. The construction of the ships is carried out in France, where the stern part, bow part and assembly of the ship will be assembled, as well as in St. Petersburg at the Baltic Shipyard, where the stern parts for two ship hulls will be built.
The stern section of the first UDC "Vladivostok" at the Baltic Shipyard.
On October 1, 2012, the laying of the aft block of this ship took place on the slipway of the Baltic Shipyard. As representatives of the industrial group for shipbuilding and naval armament of France emphasized, the work is carried out strictly according to schedule, and there is no doubt that the Russian Navy will receive the first two ships in 2014 and 2015.
February 1, 2013. "French" laying of UDC "Vladivostok"
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The first two amphibious helicopter carriers will be transferred to the Pacific Fleet. At the same time, the infrastructure of military camps and garrisons will be modernized, and special attention will be paid to formations stationed on the islands of the Kuril chain.
In the first half of 2014, the French will wait for the arrival of two crews (350 people) for six months of training. This training is part of an agreement signed in June 2011 between Russia and France.
Friends, are you for or against the Mistrals? I look forward to reasoned comments.
November 10th, 2013
The French company DCNS at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire launched the first Mistral-class landing helicopter-carrying dock ship, which is being built in the interests of the Russian Navy. According to RIA Novosti, the ship, named Vladivostok, will later be transferred to Russia to the St. Petersburg Severnaya Verf plant for retrofitting and armament. Vladivostok will join the Pacific Fleet on November 1, 2014.
The laying of the second helicopter carrier ─ Sevastopol ─ took place in France in June 2013. This ship is expected to join the Pacific Fleet in 2015. The construction of the ships is carried out with the participation of Russian enterprises. In particular, the Baltic Plant is engaged in assembling parts of ship hulls. The formation of crews for promising Russian helicopter carriers has already begun. In addition, the composition of the aviation groups of Mistral-class ships has been determined, which will include a deck modification of the Ka-52 attack helicopter, designated Ka-52K.
Let's take a closer look at how the construction of this ship is progressing...
The latest Russian weapons systems for strike and defensive purposes, including supersonic cruise missiles, will be installed on all four Mistral-class landing helicopter dock ships (ADVDS), built for the Russian Navy in both France and Russia. This was reported to ITAR-TASS by a source in the Russian military-industrial complex.
“It is planned that the first two French-built Mistrals, and the next two DVKDs, built in Russia, will be equipped with the most modern domestic weapons systems, including launchers of supersonic cruise missiles, the latest systems and complexes of anti-missile, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defense ", the source clarified.
Of course, the Mistrals will take on board attack and anti-submarine helicopters, artillery, landing craft, boats, armored vehicles and other equipment and weapons, he added.
Work on installing Russian weapons on the first two French-built DVKDs will be carried out in Russia at one of its defense enterprises after the ships from the French Saint-Nazaire arrive there, the source noted.
Laid down on November 14, 2012 at the Severnaya Verf Shipyard OJSC. Serial number 880
The General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces confirmed this information. “We don’t need the unarmed DVKDs that the French Navy has. Such “Mistrals” are essentially giant floating transporters with modern systems of combat control, navigation, reconnaissance and communications, a kind of defenseless floating command posts that must be covered both from the sea and from the air by other warships and aircraft,” noted a source in The main headquarters.
“The DVKD of our Navy must not only manage the actions of various types of forces of naval groups (surface ships, submarines, naval aviation) or even the actions of interspecific groups in the sea and ocean theaters of military operations, not only deliver and disembark marines in armored vehicles with with the help of helicopters and landing craft, but they themselves must have sufficient fire and strike power to be full-fledged self-protected multifunctional warships as part of these groups,” he emphasized.
“Therefore, the Russian DVKD will be equipped with cruise missiles with an increased firing range, the latest air defense, missile defense and anti-aircraft defense systems,” concluded a source in the General Staff.
Installation of an element of the Vladivostok DVKD section under construction on the slipway, Baltic Shipyard, 10/01/2012 (photo - http://fontanka.ru, http://bmpd.livejournal.com).
22.06.2012
In August 2012, at the Russian shipyard of the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, work will begin on the construction of blocks of BPC class ships of the Mistral type for the Russian Navy, part of the BPC class ships ordered by Rosoboronexport in June 2011 from DCNS will be built in Russia under a technology transfer agreement.
17.07.2012
The Russian Navy will begin training flight personnel in 2013, which will be based on the Mistral universal landing ship (UDC) purchased in France, said Acting Chief of Naval Aviation Major General Igor Kozhin. The preparation of the Mistral-type universal landing ships (UDC) being built in France for Russian operating conditions “is being carried out in full accordance with the schedule.” As noted in a statement received by ITAR-TASS from the manufacturing company, the shipbuilding corporation DCNS, “the second stage of adaptation is now underway” in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Federation, which will be completed by September of this year.
18.07.2012
“The Russian specification, first of all, assumes that the UDC will be able to receive Kamov helicopters with coaxial rotors. In addition, the contractor must install Russian equipment on the ships, with the exception of weapons, the communique notes. “Mistrals will also be prepared for navigation in cold climates, which means an increase in the power of electric generators. This is partly necessary to ensure partial melting of the ice on the take-off site. In addition, all ship control systems and signal displays will be translated into Russian.”
In the French city of Saint-Nazaire, the construction of Mistrals for the Russian Federation is in full swing, DCNS emphasized. “In September of this year, the first 100-ton UDC hull block will be ready. It will be installed on the keel blocks in early 2013, which will mark the beginning of the assembly phase,” the company said in a statement.
The Russian United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) will also take part in the construction of two Mistrals. It will “construct 12 aft hull units for each ship,” DCNS said.
The first ship of the Mistral series should be delivered to the Russian Navy in 2014, the second - at the end of 2015. The French side, in accordance with the Mistral contract, will transfer to Russia technologies for the construction of surface vessels, as well as the SENIT-9 combat information and control system, which is equipped with French landing ships. Subsequently, these technologies will be used in the construction of two other Mistral-type UDCs at Russian shipyards. Russia will carry out the construction of the third and fourth UDC of the Mistral type independently. (ARMS-TASS)
http://www.fontanka.ru).
At the Baltic Plant in St. Petersburg June 26, 2013 launched the stern of the new Mistral ship, built jointly with the French company STX for the Russian Navy. Now the stern part of the Mistral (its weight was 6.4 thousand tons) will be towed to the French shipyard of Saint-Nazarie.
“On July 25, the stern will arrive in Saint-Nazare, where work will begin on docking it with the rest of the parts and building the ship,” said Yves Destefanis, program director of the French military shipbuilding company DCNS.
Ceremony of launching the aft part of the main DVKD Mistral for the Russian Navy, St. Petersburg, “Baltic Plant”, 06/26/2013 (http://www.fontanka.ru).
The ceremony of launching the aft part of the main Mistral DVKD for the Russian Navy, St. Petersburg, “Baltic Shipyard”, 06/26/2013 (photo - Igor Russak, http://ria.ru).
The press service of the United Shipbuilding Corporation told the agency that the stern part was launched into the water at 10 a.m. Moscow time in accordance with the contract. The stern was launched in the presence of the heads of USC, the French companies STX-France and DCNS and Rosoboronexport. 
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, June 2013 (photo – Vincent Groizeleau, published 06/20/2013, http://www.meretmarine.com via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).
25.07.2012
The DCNS shipbuilding corporation announced some features of the project of a Mistral-class universal landing ship (UDC) with a displacement of 22 thousand tons, which will be built for the Russian Navy. In accordance with the intergovernmental Franco-Russian agreement signed in January 2011, DCNS and Rosoboronexport signed a contract in June 2011 for the construction of two UDCs in France. DCNS Corporation is the lead contractor and will also be responsible for the integration of the ship's combat information and control system (CICS) and communications systems. The French company STX France will build the ships under a subcontract with DCNS.
According to DCNS information obtained by ARMS-TASS, the list of modifications to the UDC design in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Navy is currently at a very advanced stage of approval. The first stage of work was completed in April with the provision of a preliminary analysis of the PDR (preliminary design review) project. After this, the second stage was started, including a detailed study of the ship's design, which will be completed in September 2012.
Russian requirements provide for modification of the UDC design for the deployment of deck-based Ka-29K and Ka-52K helicopters. The ships will also be modified to operate in arctic conditions, which means increasing the power supply system to support melting of the ice on the flight deck. All ship control systems and signal displays will be translated into Russian.
The aft part of the head DVKD Mistral for the Russian Navy, St. Petersburg, “Baltic Shipyard”, early July 2013 (photo - http://pfc-joker.livejournal.com).
04.10.2012
In 2013, the Ministry of Defense will form new battalions of the Marine Corps, intended for deployment on the Mistral landing helicopter dock ships, as a source in the Navy High Command explained, the American experience was taken as the basis for the personnel of the new battalions. 10/22/2012
"RTI named after Academician Mints" entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for the serial supply of BRIZ equipment for Ka-52 helicopters and its modifications; the equipment allows transmitting video images from a helicopter in real time, remotely making decisions on the control of an aviation group and the use of aircraft weapons , as well as monitor the results of their use, including for controlling the landing of helicopters on Mistral-type helicopter carriers.
The aft part of the Vladivostok DVKD arrived in Saint-Nazaire, France, 07/23/2013 (photo – DCNS via http://ria.ru).
30.10.2012
The ballasting control system for a large-tonnage ship, installed on the French Mistrals, is absent in the Russian version of helicopter carriers, which may negatively affect their safety.
“On the three French Mistrals, a unique integrated automated control system for all technical means of the ship, developed by the famous Norwegian company L3Marin, has been installed and has proven itself. It specializes in developments for large-tonnage vessels that require automated ballasting control,” said former Deputy Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Reserve Vladimir Pepelyaev.
He recalled that in the Russian-French contract for the purchase of Mistral ships, it was agreed that if the price is not exceeded and the system is no worse, then the manufacturer has the right to supply its own. This is what the French took advantage of, intending to install on Russian helicopter carriers their own technical control system, tested on their frigates and corvettes. “These ships have a much smaller tonnage, and, accordingly, they do not have a ballast control system,” the admiral explained.
“The question is, if the French have a better system, then why don’t they put it on their ships, but buy it from the Norwegians?” - the expert asks, and continues: “The Mistral manufacturers can be understood - they want to sell us their own systems along with the ship and not allow their Norwegian competitors to make money. The Navy is practically removed from this process, and Rosoboronexport is authorized to draw up documents and carry out the will of the customer - the Russian Ministry of Defense, which for some reason does not insist on receiving advanced technologies together with the Mistral, in particular, a proven world-famous system. (Military-industrial courier)
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, June 2013 (photo – Vincent Groizeleau, published 06/20/2013, http://www.meretmarine.com via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).
1.02.2013
The Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief has formed requirements for a new infantry fighting vehicle, which will have to be parachuted from Mistral-class helicopter-carrying landing ships. According to the Izvestia newspaper, the vehicle should be highly buoyant, accommodate at least 15 soldiers with standard weapons and equipment, have mortars, automatic grenade launchers, man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems and heavy machine guns. According to the newspaper's source, the new vehicle should be larger than those already in operation armed with BMP-2, BMP-3 and BTR-80, the mass of the new BMP for the Mistrals should be about 30 tons.
In addition, the armored car must be equipped with a complex of passive protection and active protection of the “Arena” type. The power of the power plant for an infantry fighting vehicle must be at least 400 horsepower, and it must be equipped with either a gas turbine engine with an electric transmission, or a 750 horsepower engine from the promising Kurganets-25 or BMP-3F armored vehicles.
It is expected that the developer of the promising infantry fighting vehicle will be determined by the end of 2013 based on the results of an open competition. Defense of the project is planned for the spring of 2014, followed by development and production.
According to the High Command of the Russian Navy, the development of a heavy landing vehicle is necessary to follow global trends - the over-the-horizon method of landing marines using helicopters and landing boats. At the same time, armored vehicles cover a distance of 30-40 kilometers to the shore on their own.
16.04.2013
Helicopter carriers of the Mistral type will be based not only in Vladivostok, but also in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, other points are being considered, Roman Filimonov, director of the state customer department for capital construction of the Russian Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“Several options (for basing) were considered, but the choice settled on Vladivostok, since it is possible to use the existing transport infrastructure there. In the future, it is necessary to create conditions for temporary parking, replenishment of supplies, loading and unloading of troops and rest of crews in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Other basing points are at the stage of development and consideration,” Filimonov said.
Active design and preparation of the production base and production facilities in the region are now beginning, he noted. The Ministry of Defense plans to “commence a wide range of construction and installation work at the beginning of next year.” According to the plan, it is necessary to make a new berthing front for both ships and developed supporting infrastructure in 2015 - by the time the first Mistral is ready to move to Primorye.
“By organizing the basing of the Mistrals in a large populated area, we will solve a whole range of social issues for their crews - first of all, providing military personnel and their families with service housing. In the near future, the creation of a significant stock of office housing in the Snegovaya Pad microdistrict of Vladivostok will be completed,” the agency’s interlocutor emphasized.
RIA News
30.04.2013
The French company STX Lorient, part of the STX France group, will build four “barge-like” landing craft and deliver them to the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2014. According to Mer et Marine, these boats will be used on the Mistral-class landing helicopter dock ships Vladivostok and Sevastopol, which are also being built in France by DCNS on order from the Russian side.
Earlier it was reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense planned to purchase French landing trimarans of the L-CAT (EDA-R) project for the Russian Mistrals, but after a change in leadership, the department refused to purchase such boats without explanation. In September 2012, it was also reported that the Russian defense department was unable to find suitable boats for the Mistrals.
Later, a source from the Interfax agency in the military-industrial complex stated that the Vladivostok and Sevastopol could be equipped with tank landing boats of projects 11770 Serna and
21280 "Dugong". At the same time, the agency’s interlocutor noted that “the problem with the boats is absolutely far-fetched,” since the “Chamois” and “Dugong” are completely suitable for the “Mistral” in terms of weight and dimensions.
Lenta.ru
22.05.2013
The plans of the Ministry of Defense for the second helicopter carrier, which is being built for our Navy at French shipyards, have become known. They plan to include this ship in the Black Sea Fleet and give it the name of the hero city of Russian sailors - “Sevastopol”. They hope to celebrate the solemn event at the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in four years, in 2017. But, as the admirals say, the helicopter carrier’s home base will most likely not be the Crimean coast, but a new military port in Novorossiysk.
03.06.2013
Japan is concerned about the agreement between Moscow and Paris on the supply of two Mistral-class universal landing ships (UDC) to Russia. This was stated on June 2, 2013 in Singapore by the Japanese Minister of Defense Itsunori Onodera at negotiations with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian, held on the sidelines of the forum of heads of military departments of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region within the framework of the so-called “Shangri-La Dialogue” . “This decision upsets the balance of power in the Far East,” emphasized I. Onodera.
Currently, at the French shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, the construction of two Mistral-class UDCs (Vladivostok and Sevastopol) is underway, intended for transfer to the Russian Navy.
Earlier, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces noted that at least one of them could be transferred to the Pacific Fleet.
ARMS-TASS
04.06.2013
The fourteenth meeting of the Russian-French Committee on Military-Technical Cooperation was held in Yekaterinburg on May 28, the press service of the FSMTC reported. The parties summed up the activities of the working groups in the naval, land and aviation fields and identified promising areas of cooperation of mutual interest. The parties noted with satisfaction the progress of work on the construction of Mistral-type landing helicopter dock ships in the interests of the Russian Navy and agreed to further expand military-technical cooperation, the FSMTC press service reports.
This is how the stern went to France:
The beginning of the docking of the hull of the Vladivostok DVKD - Mistral-type DVKD for the Russian Navy - has been completed. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, July 25, 2013 (photo by STX France via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, July 23, 2013 (photo - Gilbert Cailler, http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1843349).
The docking of the hull of the Vladivostok DVKD - Mistral-type DVKD for the Russian Navy - has been completed. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, July 25, 2013 (photo by STX France via http://bmpd.livejournal.com).
06.06.2013
In accordance with the terms of the Russian-French contract for the construction of the first two universal landing ships (UDC) of the Mistral type, the stern part of the first UDC will be sent from Russia to France in July. An informed source in the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) told ITAR-TASS today. “JSC “Baltic Shipyard - Shipbuilding” in St. Petersburg is completing preparations for launching the aft part of the first Mistral-type DVKD within the contract time frame.
19.06.2013
The laying of the second Mistral-class ship will take place on Tuesday at the French shipyards in Saint-Nazaire, a high-ranking representative of the military-industrial complex, who is part of the Russian delegation at the exhibition in Le Bourget, told RIA Novosti. The first Mistral-class ship, Vladivostok, was laid down in 2012. “Today the official laying ceremony of the second Mistral-class ship, Sevastopol, will take place,” the agency’s interlocutor said. A Russian delegation, including Rosoboronexport General Director Anatoly Isaikin, flew from Paris to Saint-Nazaire for the ceremony.
19.06.2013
The Ministry of Defense abandoned the plan to manufacture in Russia the stern section for the first Russian Mistral-class helicopter carrier, which is being built in France. According to the RIA Novosti agency, this was announced on Tuesday, June 18, by Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. According to Borisov, it has now been decided to manufacture the stern in France, where construction of the Vladivostok amphibious assault ship began in 2012. The deputy minister explained the change in plan by saying that the St. Petersburg company Severnaya Verf was not meeting its deadlines: “We won’t take risks so as not to keep the contract.”
Lenta.ru
19.06.2013
JSC "Baltic Shipyard-Shipbuilding" June 26, 2013, on time? agreed with the French side, will launch in St. Petersburg the stern part of the first amphibious helicopter-dock ship (DVKD) of the Mistral type, which is being built in cooperation with France for the Russian Navy. This was reported by the Portnews agency with reference to the press service of the United Shipbuilding Corporation OJSC (USC OJSC). In this regard, JSC USC notes that the information about the transfer to France of the construction of the aft blocks of the first of two Mistral-type DVKDs being built for Russia, which previously appeared in some media, does not correspond to reality.
19.06.2013
JSC Shipbuilding Plant "Severnaya Verf" (St. Petersburg) does not have any contracts for the construction of the aft part of the first amphibious landing helicopter dock ship (DVKD) "Vladivostok" of the "Mistral" type. In this regard, the information published in some media about the failure to meet the deadlines for the construction of the aft section for the first Mistral type DVKD on the part of the Severnaya Verf Shipyard is invalid.
Press service of JSC Severnaya Verf Shipyard
04.07.2013
The trial operation of the first and second Mistral-class helicopter carriers will make it possible to assess the need for the third and fourth ships of this class, said Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov. “The first experience of accepting two ships and retrofitting them with weapons systems will show whether we need the remaining helicopter carriers. Then a decision will be made on the construction of the third and fourth ships. We must first complete the construction of the first two, organize their acceptance and trial operation,” Fedotenkov said during the opening of the International Naval Show in St. Petersburg.
Military-industrial complex
The Mistral-class landing helicopter-carrying ship “Vladivostok” for the Russian Navy before launching. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard. 10/15/2013 (photo – Daniil Nizamutdinov, http://en.ria.ru).
Mistral-class helicopter landing ship-dock “Vladivostok” for the Russian Navy before launching. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard. 10/15/2013 (photo – Frank Perry, AFP, http://www.lexpress.fr).
02.09.2013
The first Russian landing helicopter dock ship Vladivostok of the Mistral type will be serviced by the Dalzavod enterprise in Vladivostok. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin stated this on the Rossiya 24 TV channel. “The first ship is called Vladivostok, and therefore it will be serviced in Vladivostok,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister. Rogozin also said that a meeting of the military-industrial commission will be held in October 2013, at which issues of arming the helicopter carrier will be discussed.
Steering column DVKD “Vladivostok” Mistral type. Before launching into the water. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard. 10.15.2013 (photo – Daniil Nizamutdinov, http://en.ria.ru).
16.10.2013
The Pacific Fleet is recruiting for the crews of the landing helicopter carriers Vladivostok and Sevastopol.
The crew of these ships will be more than two hundred people and will be staffed exclusively by midshipmen and contract officers. The selection is carried out by specialists from the personnel department of the Pacific Fleet.
The Mistral-class landing helicopter carrier ship “Vladivostok” for the Russian Navy shortly before launching. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard. September 2013 (photo - AFP, http://legatus-minor.livejournal.com/).
17.10.2013
Terms of reference for equipping Mistral-class ships with landing boats and onboard systems are being developed strictly in accordance with the schedule, a senior Navy representative told RIA Novosti on October 15.
Thus, he denied information from some media that allegedly the main command of the Russian Navy did not formulate technical specifications for equipping the first helicopter carrier of this type, Vladivostok, with weapons systems and landing boats.
“The completion of the ship in Russia is planned for 2014, and this plan will be followed. All technical specifications for equipping the Mistral-class landing craft with landing craft and onboard weapons systems are developed taking into account their most effective use after the ship is transferred to the Navy. Therefore, it is, to say the least, incorrect to talk about any delays in the work of naval specialists,” said a Navy representative.
25.10.2013
An embankment for the repair of Mistral-class landing ships will appear on the territory of the Dalzavod shipbuilding center by 2016. This was announced by the executive director of the Dalzavod Center, Igor Evdokimov, during a visiting meeting of the Committee of the Legislative Assembly of the PC on economic policy and property on the issue “On the state of shipbuilding and ship repair in the Primorsky Territory,” the correspondent reports. RIA PrimaMedia.
The first Mistral-class ship should arrive in Vladivostok at the end of 2014 - beginning of 2015. An embankment for its repair and maintenance will be equipped by 2016 on the territory of the Dalzavod shipbuilding center,” said Igor Evdokimov.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MISTRAL
Tonnage (standard) 16,500 tons
Tonnage (full) 21,300 tons
Tonnage (maximum) 32,300 tons
Maximum length 199 m
Waterline width 32 m
Height 64.3 m
Side height at flight deck level – 27 m
Draft (with sonar) 6.42 m (with a displacement of 22600 tons)
No reservation
Power point:
- 3 diesel generators “Vyartsilya” 16 V32 (6.2 MW)
- 1 diesel generator “Vyartsilya” 18V200 (3.3 MW)
- 2 Alstom Mermaid thrusters (7 MW)
Power 20,400 l. With. (15 MW)
Propellers 2 x 5 blades
Maximum speed 19 knots
Cruising speed 18 knots
Cruising range:
- 10,800 km (5,800 miles) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
- 19,800 km (10,700 miles) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Sailing autonomy 30 days
Crew 177 people (20 officers) + 481 marines
Armament
Radar weapons: 2 navigation radars DRBN-38A Decca Bridgemaster E250, target detection radar MRR3D-NG
Anti-aircraft weapons: 2x2 Simbad air defense missile launchers, 2 30-mm Breda-Mauser artillery mounts, 4 12.7-mm Browning machine guns
Aviation group: 16 heavy helicopters or 32 light helicopters
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, October 21, 2013 (photo – Gilbert Cailler, http://www.shipspotting.com/).
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, STX France shipyard, 09/08/2013 (photo - Christian Plague, http://www.shipspotting.com/ via http://prokhor-tebin.livejournal.com/).
http://www.shipspotting.com/).
Landing helicopter-carrying ship-dock “Vladivostok” - Mistral-class landing ship for the Russian Navy. France, Saint-Nazaire, October 21, 2013 (photo - brunoh, http://www.shipspotting.com/).
And this is already Universal landing ship "Sevastopol". Laid down on the slipway of Baltic Shipyard LLC on July 4, 2013.
But in general, this is how they should turn out:
2 Alstom Mermaid thrusters (7 MW)
10,700 miles (19,800 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
The number of air groups on the Russian DVKD is 30 Ka-52K and Ka-29 or Ka-27M helicopters
Universal landing ships of the Mistral type(fr. BPC de la classe Mistral) - a class of universal landing ships - helicopter carriers, which are in service with the French Navy. The ship is capable of performing four different tasks at once: landing military units on land, receiving helicopters, being a command center and a floating hospital. The ship can simultaneously accommodate a landing force of 450 people (short-term up to 900 people) and up to 16 helicopters weighing 12 tons. A hangar with an area of 1800 square meters is provided for them. meters
Order of the Russian Navy
On the deck of the Mistral
The height of the hangar allows Russian helicopters Ka-27, Ka-29 and Ka-52K to be placed on the hangar deck, which was confirmed during the visit of the Mistral UDC to St. Petersburg when performing test landings of helicopters on the deck. However, the opening in the elevator area is not high enough for the Ka-29 and will be enlarged. In addition, it is planned to use this helicopter carrier in northern latitudes, in ice. To do this, you will need to strengthen the sides of the ship. However, this will not entail major changes in the design and technical equipment of the Mistral. Russia is buying the Mistral helicopter carrier with all navigation and technological equipment, including combat navigation, but the weapons and helicopters on the ship will be Russian.. The agreement was signed by Igor Sechin and Alain Juppé on January 25, 2011 in Saint-Nazaire. The protocol of intent was signed on June 10, 2011 in Paris, the signing of the final contract took place within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 17, 2011.
The first two Mistral amphibious helicopter-dock ships (DVDC), built at French shipyards for the Russian Navy, will be transferred to the Pacific Fleet. At the same time, the infrastructure of military camps and garrisons of the Eastern Military District will be significantly modernized due to significant funds allocated for this. Particular attention will be paid to formations stationed on the islands of the Kuril chain.
According to information from the general designer of the Kamov Design Bureau, Sergei Mikheev, Russian Mistral-class ships will accommodate 16 helicopters in a combination of 8 Ka-52K + 8 Ka-29, that is, eight combat and eight transport, but this combination can be changed depending on the delivered tasks
| We are going to supply missile systems for self-defense to increase air defense protection. We will strengthen the use of the helicopter component in terms of performing anti-submarine missions. The Mistrals, which are being built for the Russian Navy, can accommodate weapons with a special Russian-designed warhead. |
All systems and devices on board the ship will be Russified. Russian and French control and communications equipment will be installed on the Mistral; DCNS will need to ensure system compatibility. Some of this equipment will be installed on the ship at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, and some - at one of the Russian shipyards. In addition, the ship under construction in Saint-Nazaire will receive Russian fire control systems.
According to DCNS, Mistrals for Russia will receive AK-630 30mm artillery mounts in the front on the starboard side and in the rear of the ship on the port side. The 3M47 Gibka anti-aircraft missile launchers will be located in front on the starboard side and in the rear on the left side. DCNS will prepare sites for the installation of weapons, while the combat systems themselves will be installed on the ship in Russia.
The French Thales MRR-3D-NG radar operating in the G-wave band will be used as the main surveillance radar on the Russian Mistral. Similar radars are installed on three Mistral-class helicopter carriers in the French Navy.
The system has two operating modes: “ocean” mode for long-range observation in the open sea, “coastal” mode for coastal waters.
Representatives
| Name | Shipyard | Pawned | Launching | date of signing acceptance certificate |
Fleet | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Mistral" | DCNS/Alstom | July 10, 2003 | October 6, 2004 | February 2006 | French Navy | In service | |
| "Tonnerre" | DCNS/Alstom | August 26, 2004 | July 26, 2005 | December 2006 | French Navy | In service | |
| "Dixmude" | DCNS/Alstom | April 18, 2009 | December 18, 2010 | January 2012 | French Navy | In service | |
| "Vladivostok" | Alstom/Baltic Plant | February 1, 2012/October 1, 2012 | September 2013 | 2014 | Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy | Pawned | |
| "Sevastopol" | Alstom/Baltic Plant | 2015 | Pacific Fleet of the Russian Navy | Ordered | 20% of the hull will be built at the Baltic Shipyard. | ||
| « » | Planned for construction | ||||||
| « » | Planned for construction |
On December 21, 2012, information appeared that the order for the construction of 2 UDCs in Russia was canceled, but a little later it turned out that the military decided to postpone the implementation of options for the construction of two additional ships ordered in 2011 from France from 2013 for 2016. |
see also
- (English) Russian
Notes
Links
- How the Mistral works Glance.
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UNIVERSAL LANDING SHIP “VLADIVOSTOK”
MISTRAL TYPE
UNIVERSAL AMPHIBIOUS SHIP “VLADIVOSTOK” TYPE “MISTRAL”
07.01.2017
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Thursday raised the national flag on the Mistral-class helicopter carrier Gamal Abdel Nasser at a military base near the village of Safaga on the Red Sea.
In addition, the Egyptian head of state attended the exercises of marine units, and also inspected the construction of some of the most important facilities for the country's economy in the Red Sea province.
In 2011, the construction of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers commissioned by the Russian Navy began in the French city of Saint-Nazaire. The first ship was named "Vladivostok", the second - "Sevastopol", France was supposed to deliver in November 2014. However, due to events in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia, the country's President Francois Hollande decided to suspend the contract. In the summer of 2015, the contract was terminated. As a result, Paris paid Moscow €949.7 million, and the ships were then sold to Egypt.
The first universal landing ship (UDC) “Gamal Abdel Nasser” (ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser 1010, originally “Vladivostok” - TASS note), named after the second president of Egypt (1954-1970), was transferred to Egypt on June 2, 2016. A few months later, Egypt received a second ship, named "Anwar Sadat" - also in honor of one of the country's ex-presidents.
TASS
Reading articles about the State Defense Order, I am always convinced that the Russian media work in the genre of “news in the future tense,” talking about events and plans that most likely will never come true, but today they have become news and are imposed on society as a subject for discussion. And so, among these information phantoms, on February 1, there was information about a real event - the laying down of the universal landing ship-helicopter carrier "Vladivostok" in France. On this day, metal cutting for the first Russian Mistral-type UDC began at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.
"Mistral" is only externally similar to traditional dock ships, helicopter carriers or universal landing ships. In fact, they have much greater potential. It is no coincidence that the French singled them out into a separate class - “force projection and command vessel” (attack headquarters ship or, literally, “force projection and control ship”). Distinctive features of such structures are the flight deck located along the entire length of the hull and the aft docking chamber. Also on the Mistral there is a command center for 150 operators and, equipped with the most modern equipment, a hospital with 70 beds. The concept of such ships is not new - even during the Vietnam War, the US Navy was faced with the problem of managing heterogeneous naval landing groups involved in landings. Then the idea was born to combine them in one universal case.
Compared to its contemporaries - the American San Antonio-class LPD - the Mistral looks more attractive: the French ship is controlled by a crew of only 160 people, while the American landing dock ships require 350 crew members. The future Russian ship also has an advantage in the composition of its air group: 16 helicopters versus 4 helicopters and 2 tiltrotors of the “Americans”. Summarizing all of the above, we can give a clear answer: the Mistral-class UDC is a modern landing ship with high combat potential, one of the best representatives of its class in the world.
Underwater rocks
Many articles, publications and scientific papers have already been written about the fact that the Mistral does not fit into the concept of combat use of the Russian Navy, about its inconsistency with the conditions in which the Russian Navy operates, its vulnerability and difficulties with maintenance. Indeed, does the Russian Navy need such a ship? For example, it is widely known that this ferry-like structure was created according to civil shipbuilding standards and is not capable of withstanding the hydrodynamic shock of a nearby underwater explosion. As far as I know, such a calculation is mandatory when designing ships for the Russian Navy. It is difficult to say how true this myth is to reality, but it leaves an unpleasant aftertaste.
I will no longer bore the reader with a list of unverified (or, conversely, overly known) figures, facts and rumors. As an amateur, I am interested in the more obvious points:
Mistral's visit to St. Petersburg in November 2009 was not without embarrassment. Domestic rotorcraft Ka-52 and Ka-27 landed on its deck without any problems (of course! The length of the Mistral flight deck is 199 meters, width -32 meters), but, as it turned out later, the Russian helicopters did not fit into the opening in terms of dimensions elevator, so they could not be lowered into the hangar. The scandalous incident did not receive wide publicity, but did not escape public attention.
Further - even more fun. Due to the basing of Russian helicopters with coaxial propellers on the Mistral, the height of the below-deck hangar will have to be increased by at least a meter compared to the original design, which, naturally, will entail an increase in the “side” of the ship. Excessive windage has always been one of the disadvantages of the Mistrals, and in the “Russian series” it will increase even more. This will also inevitably entail a decrease in metacentric height. What does this mean when fully loaded and in stormy conditions? That's right, capsizing.
As already noted, helicopter lifts, which lift equipment from the hangar to the flight deck, are unsuitable for transporting the Ka-29 with suspended weapons. We will have to either purchase Eurocopter helicopters from France or radically rebuild the lifting mechanisms.
The problems with aircraft do not end there. Fuel for refueling helicopters is supplied from two tanks, which are located below the waterline in the stern of the ship - fuel lines stretch from afar through 3 decks filled with people, ammunition and equipment. A very dubious decision of the French, which affects the survivability of the UDC in the most negative way. It may be necessary to change the entire fuel refueling and storage system according to domestic requirements.
The transport deck for armored vehicles does not meet Russian requirements. It is designed for a mass not exceeding 32 tons for each combat unit. In turn, this means that there will be no Russian main battle tanks on the Mistral's transport deck. In total, no more than five MBTs can fit on the ship: three on the platform in front of the docking chamber and two on the landing boats of Project 11770 “Serna”.
Further, Russian sailors will not be able to effectively use the dock space. "Mistral" is a French ship and its docking chamber was designed in accordance with the parameters of NATO landing craft. Therefore, despite the substantial dimensions of the docking chamber (57.5m x 15.4m x 8.2m, area 885 sq.m.), only 2 landing craft of Project 11770 can be placed in it. And landing hovercraft of Project 1206 " Squid”, etc. 12061 “Moray eel” will not be able to be based on the “Mistral” at all - the DKVP do not fit through the gates of the dock chamber in height! It turns out that we will have to create new landing craft for the Mistral.
French engineers have prepared a great surprise for Russian sailors. The North Sea residents will be especially “rejoiced,” as well as all those who try to operate the Mistral in the northern Pacific Ocean. The fact is that the sides of the French UDC have wide openings that provide natural ventilation on the helicopter and transport decks. A great idea for the tropics turns into a nightmare for northern latitudes - icing of all equipment is guaranteed. It is impossible to simply brick up these openings; first you need to design an extensive forced ventilation system.
Continuing the “ice theme”, I will say that the Mistral’s hull does not have ice reinforcements, and this, given the conditions in which the Russian Navy operates, practically excludes the basing of French ships in the Baltic, Pacific Ocean and especially in the North. There are especially many problems with the nasal bulb, which is designed to improve driving performance. Those. You won't be able to get away with simply thickening the side. According to experts, this means the development of a ship of a new design.
The Mistral propulsion system using submerged main electric motors is worth a separate discussion. Azipod-type steering columns provide ease of maneuvering, but this system also has serious disadvantages:
– first of all, this is a low speed (18 knots compared to 22–24 knots for the San Antonio type UDC of the US Navy);
– operation of ships with Azipods requires regular docking to inspect the rudder propellers. And there is an opinion that today there are no docks for such large ships in Russia, especially in the Pacific Ocean. I can assume that the “Russian Mistrals” will receive traditional propulsors and rudders.
Not armed and not dangerous
Yes, the Mistral has almost no defensive weapons. Machine guns and two twin Mistral MANPADS (this is not a typo, obviously the French really like this name), which are analogues of the Russian Igla or the American Stinger, can hardly be taken seriously.
On the one hand, this cannot please me, as an adept of carrier-based aviation. The purchase of a Mistral-class UDC means a change in the shipbuilding paradigm of the Russian Navy. Simply put, the Navy is adopting the concept of a Western-style carrier fleet. It is possible to use Mistrals in landing operations only if there is powerful air cover, otherwise the entire landing will turn into a bloody mess. The naval version of the Ka-52 attack helicopter is only effective against ground forces. Neither in terms of range nor in combat capabilities, it will be able to replace carrier-based fighter-bombers. Accordingly, security and supply ships are needed for this entire strike force. It turns out that Russia plans to create a powerful and balanced ocean fleet.
If this is not the case, then buying the Mistral looks like a gamble. Either the Navy command does not intend to use French ships in landing operations, i.e. for their intended purpose.
Money down the drain?
Mistral is the French name for the cold wind that blows in the Rhone Valley. Will a UDC with such a name become a waste of money in the literal and figurative sense? According to one radical Internet user, Russian admirals bought themselves two foreign cars, each worth $2 billion.
It seems strange: generally useless ships were acquired for the Russian fleet, which have no place in the modern concept of using the Russian Navy, without escort ships and, most importantly, without the presence of a large marine corps and means of landing it.
Maybe I'm exaggerating in vain. With the purchase of the Mistral, the domestic shipbuilding industry will gain access to the latest global technologies. Perhaps this is indeed the case, but then it is not clear why as many as 4 ships of this type were needed.
In principle, the conversation is not about the fact that it is bad to acquire foreign military equipment. It’s just good that we are trying to borrow the best solutions and designs. The point is that these billions could have been spent more efficiently by purchasing, instead of the UDC, other types of European ships that the fleet really needed. As an option - Spanish frigates of the Alvaro de Bazan type. Even without the Aegis system (the sale of which is out of the question), they represent a powerful and modern complex of marine