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 1st there was information about real event- 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.
Pitfalls
About the fact that Mistral does not fit into the concept combat use of the Russian Navy, about its incompatibility with the conditions in which the Russian Navy operates, its vulnerability and difficulties with maintenance, many articles, publications and scientific works. 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 the 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 intended to improve ride quality. 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 adherent 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 purchased for the Russian fleet, which have no place in the modern concept the use of the Russian Navy, without escort ships and, most importantly, without the presence of numerous marines and means of landing them.
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 are a powerful and modern complex sea
In the manufacture of floating parts of the hull of two landing helicopter dock ships of the Mistral type at the Baltic Shipyard (St. Petersburg), part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation.
The first Russian Mistral-class helicopter carrier, named Vladivostok, was on February 1, 2012.
A year later, assembly of the ship's bow began at the STX France shipyards in Saint-Nazaire.
In parallel, construction of the aft section was underway at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, which at the end of July 2013 was where work continued.
On October 15, 2013, the hull of the Vladivostok ship was launched. After that, under the control of the French state-owned military shipbuilding company DCNS, the ship was retrofitted and tested in the docks and at sea.
The first amphibious helicopter carrier of the Mistral type, the ship Vladivostok, according to the invitation sent to the Russian side, was supposed to be transferred by France to the Russian Navy, but the transfer did not take place.
The United States actively opposes the transfer of ships. Paris, on the one hand, stated that it was obliged to fulfill the contract with Russia, and on the other, linked the transfer of ships with progress in resolving the situation in Ukraine.
Even if the agreement breaks down, no serious negative consequences are expected for the Russian Federation: France will have to pay a large penalty, and Russia will be able to build its own analogue of the Mistral on its own.
The contract specifies the amount of the penalty; it will be determined depending on the circumstances. The figure varies from 3 billion to 10 billion euros.
French President Francois Hollande decided to suspend the delivery of the first Mistral-class helicopter carrier to Russia due to the situation in Ukraine.
Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov that Russia will not yet make claims against France due to the decision to suspend the supply of the Mistral to the Russian Federation. According to him, everything is spelled out in the contract, Russia will act in accordance with the letter of the contract.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Until now all attempts by the French to sell the Mistral on the world market were unsuccessful. France, having built 2 ships for its Navy, was forced to stop their construction, and put this ship up as a tender for a competition in Australia, when Australia decided to choose the type of ship for its amphibious forces.
However, Canberra firmly insisted that both ships be built at Australian shipyards, while Paris was inferior to only one ship to its foreign colleagues - the second was to be built in France.
The main reason for refusal The Australian fleet moved away from the Mistral in favor of its Spanish competitor due to unresolved disagreements over the place of construction of the two ships. Secondly, Australians rated Mistral as " the ship is too complex, has certain seaworthiness problems and is too expensive" The Mistral does not carry any unique equipment or unique weapons that Russia could not independently produce.
Specifications Mistral-class amphibious helicopter carrier.
It has a standard displacement of 16.5 thousand tons, a full displacement of 21.3 thousand tons. When the dock is full - 32.3 thousand tons. Its length is 199 meters, width - 32 meters, height 64.3 m, draft - 6.3 meters. Speed full speed- 18.8 knots. Cruising range - up to 19.8 thousand miles.
The ship's helicopter group includes 16 vehicles (8 landing and 8 combat attack helicopters). At the same time, 6 helicopters can be accommodated on the take-off deck.
In addition, the ship is capable of carrying four landing craft or two hovercraft, up to 13 main battle tanks or up to 70 vehicles, as well as up to 470 landing troops (900 for a short time).
A command center with an area of 850 square meters is equipped on board the Mistral, in which up to 200 people can work. It is well equipped and allows the Mistral to be used to control operations of various types and scales of interspecific groupings of troops (forces), including those carried out in autonomous mode; actions of a squadron, flotilla or fleet.
In addition, the ship has a hospital with 69 beds (their number can be increased, but only slightly), two operating rooms and an X-ray room. What is interesting about Mistral is, first of all, the power unit. The French have always been strong in creating efficient engines. A distinctive feature of the propulsion system is the absence of bulky propeller shafts, since two propellers are located in special rotary nacelles - the rotation range is 360 degrees. This design of the main propulsors makes the ship more maneuverable, which is especially important when moving near the shore.
It is true that it is unclear how the functionality of abortion HEDs will be restored if they fail without the use of a dock? And a ship without movement is no longer a ship, but a simple target. The only advantage of the French ship is its cruising range.
Mistral is designed for transporting troops and cargo, landing troops, and can be used as a headquarters ship. Currently, the French Navy has two ships of this type - Mistral L.9013 and Tonnerre L.9014. These are the largest ships after the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
Spanish Juan Carlos I class amphibious helicopter carrier or, as the Australians believe, the Canberra-class DVKD and the Adelaide class of the same type are planned to be built for the Australian Navy by 2013 and 2015. In fact, this is an amphibious helicopter carrier-dock, distinctive feature which is a continuous flight deck with a bow springboard to ensure take-off of aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing.
In addition to twelve helicopters, the Spanish Juan Carlos I also provides a base for up to six tactical fighters - in our case, these could be MiG-29K. The ship can be used as a replacement for an aircraft carrier when it is being repaired in dry dock.
Helicopter carrier Juan CarlosI»
has a length of 230.82 m, a maximum beam of 32 m, a maximum displacement of 27,563 tons and a draft of 6 meters. The ship is developing maximum speed up to 21 knots (39 km/h) and ensures the transportation of equipment and personnel over a distance of 9,000 nautical miles (16,000 km) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h).
The ship's crew consists of 243 people permanent staff. The ship can also internally transport up to 902 equipped paratroopers and up to 46 Leopard main battle tanks.
Therefore, it would be more profitable for Russia to acquire the Spanish amphibious helicopter carrier-dock “Juan Carlos I”
In the Russian-French Mistral deal, only the benefit for France is clearly visible. Sarkozy is using the Mistral deal as bait to establish broader business ties with Russia. With this deal, Sarkozy wants to achieve guarantees for business contacts between French and Russian businesses. For example, GDF Suez will receive a 9% stake in Nord Stream. President Sarkozy confirmed that negotiations are underway on the sale of four landing ships Mistral class.
“Mistral” is a helicopter carrier that we will create for Russia without military equipment; if they are sold, they will be deprived of electronic and computer systems. It’s not clear how it’s possible without modern technologies sell Mistral, why is it needed at all? Official Moscow identified this condition as one of the key parameters of the deal being discussed.
In addition, for France, this is, first of all, a huge sales market, and the sale of the Mistrals will save the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on the Atlantic coast from bankruptcy. If such a contract is signed, French industry will be provided with work for several years.
The command of the French Navy especially emphasized the fact that thanks to the optimization of costs for various items, the introduction of innovative engineering solutions and the sectional construction of ships of this type, not only the construction time of the series was reduced, but it was also possible to reduce the total costs of the program by almost 30%.
In Western shipbuilding, there has long been a tendency to use civilian technologies in military shipbuilding, this makes it possible to reduce the cost of building ships and use standardized equipment on warships and civilian vessels. But all this unification does not have the best effect on the survivability of the ship.
Although Russian ships may be more expensive, since such deep unification of equipment with the civilian fleet is not used (and rightly so), they only benefit from this in reliability, survivability and other important characteristics. Unfortunately, these requirements are mutually exclusive: if you want it cheaper and simpler, get one; if you want to ensure combat stability, get another.
Warships and are built for combat, not for pleasure excursions on the Great Barrier Reef or the Caribbean Sea. Only now they have begun to forget about this. And this is especially the case with Western companies, for whom the issue of low prices comes first.
ALLEGED TROUBLES OF RUSSIA
As part of the Russian Navy, the Mistral class landing helicopter dock ship, if purchased from France, will be used only as a control ship; the military department considers the landing function of the ship as secondary, inherent in universal ships. The Russians are forced to buy this ship.
The 450 million euros that we have to pay to buy the lead ship and the roughly same amount that we have to pay for the license to produce each subsequent ship gives us a total of almost a billion euros that we actually have to give to France.
The ship for Russia will be built according to civilian standards - without weapons and radars. But if there is any point in buying a series, then you need to buy the first one already ready. The initial official position of Russia is this: we are buying one ship, we are building three others on the territory of our country. The construction of large ships also means jobs and support for the military-industrial complex. For Russian shipbuilders this is also additional opportunity mastering new European technologies.
But during the negotiations, Russia retreated from the planned plan. French President Sarkozy proposed that only two ships could be built in Russia. " Two and two was a reasonable agreement“, he noted, implying that two Mistrals will roll off the stocks in France, and two more will already be in Russia. The construction of Mistral will be carried out by STX France and DCNS.
Naval specialists laughed at the phrase of the Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov - “ According to the Ministry of Defense, the Mistral consumes 2-3 times less fuel than our landing ships! Have the French made a global breakthrough in ship energy? They have efficiency power plant 2-3 times higher than ships of all other countries" It becomes clear what “competent” specialists are in our beloved Ministry of Defense!
Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Makarov believes that Russia can purchase one French helicopter carrier plus the technology for its production. " We do not have ships of this class. Our large landing ships are about 3-4 times smaller than the Mistral. This is not only a landing ship - its versatility is obvious: it is a helicopter carrier, a headquarters ship, a landing ship, a hospital, and just a transport ship, and it is very easy to give it any new function in the most short terms. In addition, as part of the Navy, the Mistral will be engaged in transporting people and cargo, fighting submarines and rescuing people during emergency situations “, the military leader said in an interview with Russia Today television.
The Russian Navy intends to use the Mistral, if purchased from France, as a command ship. People are laughing! Buying the Mistral as a control ship (and even more so four ships in the end) as an auxiliary fleet is taxpayers’ money down the drain! In this case, the landing function of the ship is considered as secondary.
The fact is that Russian ships carry out landings in any situation in any conditions with a direct approach to the coastline and on their own, the Mistral is exclusively a transfer of equipment. These ships are essentially used as transports for the delivery of landing craft, although they themselves are not such (landing craft).
Why does Russia buy helicopter carriers? Much more important are the motives - why and for what purpose Russia is purchasing helicopter carriers, and why France, a NATO member, not only agrees to such a deal, but practically pushes Russia to purchase. Purchasing a heavy (21 thousand tons of displacement) amphibious assault helicopter carrier from France is pointless for today’s Russia.
Such a large landing ship is needed to carry out amphibious landings in countries far from Russia. And to cover such a large ship, you need an escort - a cruiser, a couple of destroyers, and even an aircraft carrier (which does not exist in the Russian Federation). In the event of a major war, this Mistral as part of the Russian Navy simply turns into a big target. It has long been clear to everyone that the Russian Federation will not be able to send its marines to the far shores soon; all fleets will only have one marine brigade.
A serious drawback of these ships is their weak weapons., which does not provide reliable self-defense against any serious threats (anti-ship missiles, torpedoes, combat swimmers-saboteurs). The planned increase in the armament of helicopter carriers is self-deception. What can be placed on them? One or two 100-mm cannons, one or two launchers for short-range air defense systems and three or four “duets”. This is a maximum, which will inevitably result in a decrease in the metacentric height and lead to a deterioration in stability.
The Mistral cannot carry out a landing of troops with heavy equipment on an unequipped coastline on its own, only with the help of tank landing boats. Since the 50s, this procedure has been long and complex: filling the docking chamber with water and removing the pontoons from it takes several hours. They cannot deliver all the equipment to the water's edge at once. Several flights need to be made. The entire landing process takes a very long time. During this procedure, the Mistral with a filled docking chamber is quite vulnerable. However, paratroopers are quickly delivered to the shore by helicopter. But... without heavy weapons and armored vehicles.
The main thing is that the Mistral does not fit into the concept of combat use of the Russian Marine Corps today. Having received such a ship into service, our fleet will not be able to use it to conduct those amphibious landing operations that have been practiced for decades, or at least will not receive significant assistance from it to conduct such operations. The Mistral helicopter carrier is not suitable for landing operations and will be difficult to adapt to Russian equipment.
This ship assumes NATO equipment without modern equipment. The product is purchased as a complete set: EMPTY BOX + UNDERCARRIAGE , but our shipbuilders can weld an empty hull. It is difficult to imagine a situation where the French will make a hull and we will install our own equipment on it. It is difficult to fit a completely foreign project to the body, which has certain dimensional characteristics, Russian weapons, electrical equipment and other technological components. For this, at a minimum, it is necessary that French designers build the ship together with our shipbuilders.
NOT ARMED, BUT VERY DANGEROUS
But these ships will cause a lot of trouble for Russia. Let us quickly list the problems that will have to be solved during the implementation of the Mistral construction program. Let's start from the top, that is, from the flight deck. It will need to be raised by more than a meter compared to the base project. This need is due to the fact that Russian helicopters, which will be based on the UDC, have a greater height than those that currently “live” on French ships.
Sad experience already was. When the Mistral paid a visit to St. Petersburg, Russian Ka-52 and Ka-27 helicopters successfully landed on its deck, but later it turned out that domestic rotorcraft did not fit into the elevator opening in height, so they could not be lowered into the helicopter hangar. The slight embarrassment was quickly hushed up.
The already high-sided Mistral has excess windage. Now it will increase even more. In addition, the “growth” of the side will inevitably entail a decrease in the metacentric height. All this in stormy conditions and icing threatens to capsize.
Let's go down to the floor below - to the helicopter hangar. It has already been raised a meter. But the problems don't stop there. Fuel for refueling helicopters is supplied from two tanks, which are located below the waterline in the stern of the ship. That is, the fuel lines stretch from afar. This is permissible in relation to French helicopters, since they use fuel with more high temperature flashes than on domestic rotorcraft.
In other words, the ship will have to burn, or it will be necessary to remake the entire fuel refueling and storage system to meet domestic requirements. The third option for solving this problem is to purchase Eurocopter helicopters and purchase fuel for them from Western energy companies. The elevators that lift helicopters from hangars to the flight deck will also have to be redone., since the existing ones are unsuitable for transporting domestic vehicles with suspended weapons.
Let's go even lower - to the deck where the armored vehicles are located.There are problems with her too. The weight of each combat unit should not exceed 30–32 tons. This means that there will be no tanks there. In total, the ship will accommodate five T-90 type tanks: three on the platform in front of the docking chamber, that is, closer to the bottom, and two on two landing boats of Project 11770 “Serna”.
More than two such DKAs will not fit in the docking chamber of the French UDC. Landing hovercraft of projects 1206 “Squid” and 12061 “Moray” do not even pass through the gates of the dock chamber in height. Therefore, it will be necessary to create new landing craft for the Mistral.. Of course, this task is for the Almaz Central Design Bureau, the Central Design Bureau for the SPK named after. R.E. Alekseeva or KB "Vympel" is feasible. But it will take money and time.
Now about the sides of the Mistral. They have wide “windows” that provide natural ventilation on the helicopter deck and on the one where the armored vehicles are located. This is very convenient in temperate and tropical latitudes, but in northern and subpolar waters they cause nothing but harm, since they guarantee icing of the equipment. Representatives of French companies have already announced that the “windows” will be closed. But then you will have to create a very extensive forced ventilation system. And this will entail a significant redesign of the design and corresponding considerable costs.
According to the Central Naval Portal, Russian experts who had a chance to get acquainted with the technical documentation of the Mistral indicate that the ship’s hull does not have ice reinforcement, and this, given the conditions in which it is necessary to operate to the Russian Navy, practically excludes the basing of UDCs of this type in the Baltic, Pacific Ocean, and especially in the North. The ship's hull in the waterline area has clearly defined S-shaped contours, which will lead to a significant increase in loads when crossing the ice field.
In addition, the presence of a bow bulb, designed to improve performance, also does not contribute to ensuring ice strength. And you won’t be able to get rid of it by simply thickening the side. Experts conclude that a significant revision of the theoretical drawing is necessary. And this actually means the development of a ship of a new project.
One of the recognized authorities in the field of military shipbuilding, retired captain 1st rank, doctor technical sciences, systems analysis and design specialist complex systems Vladislav Nikolsky, who is a co-author (together with Vladimir Kuzin) of the fundamental and now classic work - the encyclopedia “USSR Navy 1945–1991”, after a careful study of the Mistral during its call to St. Petersburg, told the ARMS-TASS agency, that "many of the technical decisions made on this ship are so risky that they are not used even on the newest amphibious ships of the US Navy."
In particular, we are talking about a single electric power plant using submerged main electric motors located in rudder propellers (Azipod type). This propulsion system ensures ease and speed of maneuvering. But it also has serious drawbacks.:
- first of all, this is a low speed (18 knots compared to 22–24 knots for the universal landing ships of the US and Spanish Navy);
- high cost;
- finally, the operation of such an installation will require frequent docking to inspect the main electric motors. And there are a very limited number of docks for such ships in Russia, especially in the Pacific Ocean. That is why it is necessary to replace the power plant and propulsors with more powerful and simpler ones.
It is unlikely that French companies will be able to eliminate these, not all of the listed shortcomings of the basic project. Therefore, we will have to be content with cosmetic alterations.
We are not talking about the fact that "Mistral" is not able to withstand the load under conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. And in general " something between a truck and an oil tanker", created according to civil shipbuilding standards, is not able to withstand the hydrodynamic shock of a nearby underwater explosion. Meanwhile, both of these regulatory requirements are mandatory when designing ships for the Russian Navy.
The Russian Navy needs a UDC with a displacement of 28,000 tons, with a springboard and arresting gear, suitable for basing 4-6 MiG-29K. The Spanish Juan Carlos I, which has a nose springboard to ensure take-off of aircraft with a short take-off and vertical landing, would be more suitable. The French can afford to build cheap helicopter carriers of the Mistral type. Russia needs an ocean-going landing ship with good air defense of its own, including that provided by carrier-based fighters.
Russia is buying an absolutely useless ship that does not fit into the Navy in any way, without self-defense weapons, without security ships and without the presence of the Marine Corps itself.
The only thing the Mistral can do is arrange cruises for the Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense and their entourage, the Commander-in-Chief and the leadership of the Navy.
/Based on materials topwar.ru And nvo.ng.ru /
Universal landing ships of the Mistral type are a type of UDC helicopter carriers that are armed with the Naval Forces of the French Republic.
Ships of this type can simultaneously perform four tasks: to be a floating hospital, a command center, to receive and maintain combat helicopters, and to land motorized military units. Also, at the same time, they can carry: 4 landing barges; 16 Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters or NHI NH90 multi-role helicopters; a tank battalion of 40 Leclerc tanks or 13 AMX-56 Leclerc main tanks and 450 soldiers (their number can reach 900 if they are on board for a short time). There is a hangar with an area of 1800 square meters to accommodate helicopters. m.
Three of the class's representatives, Mistral L9013, Dixmude L9015 and Tonnere L9014, are operated by the French Navy.
France is building two such ships for the Russian Federation (and the stern parts are being built by the Baltic Shipyard, located in St. Petersburg), and there were also plans to build two more ships entirely at this shipyard.
1. Photos
2. Video
3. Performance characteristics
3.1 Main characteristics:
- Displacement: 21300 t (full), 32300 t (maximum).
- Length: 199 m (maximum).
- Height: 64.3 m.
- Width: 32 m (at the waterline).
- Draft: 6.3 m (with sonar).
- Reservations: no.
- Engines: 3 Vyartsilya 16 V32 diesel generators (6.2 MW), 1 Vyartsilya 18V200 diesel generator (3.3 MW), 2 Alstom Mermaid rudder propellers (7 MW).
- Power: 20400 l. With. (15 MW).
- Propulsion: two five-blade propellers.
- Speed: 19 knots (maximum), 18 knots (cruising).
- Cruising range: 5,800 miles (10,800 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h), 10,700 miles (19,800 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h).
- Navigation autonomy: 30 days.
- Crew: 160 people (20 officers) + 450 marines (900 short range marines).
3.2 Armament
- Standard landing craft: 2 landing boats-catamarans of the EDAR type or 4 landing boats of the CTM type, with a length of 23 m and a width of 6.3 m.
- Radar weapons: 2 navigation radars DRBN-38A Decca Bridgemaster E250, Detection radar MRR3D-NG targets.
- Tactical strike weapons: no.
- Artillery: AK-630.
- Anti-aircraft artillery: 4 × 12.7 mm Browning machine guns; "3M47" Bending, 2 × 30 mm Breda-Mauser gun mounts.
- Missile armament: 2 × 2 - Simbad air defense missile launcher.
- Aviation group: 32 light helicopters or 16 heavy helicopters; the number of aviation groups on the Russian airborne landing forces is 30 Ka-27M or Ka-52K and Ka-29 helicopters.
3.3 Features of ships for the Russian Federation
In the media you can sometimes read reports about tactical and technical characteristics, which have differences compared to the French version. Here are some of them:
- Crew: 177 people.
- Number of passengers: 481 people.
- Side height at flight deck level: 27 m.
- Maximum speed: 18.5 knots (at a draft of 6.42 m and 100% (2x3.5 MW) power on the rudder propellers).
- Draft: 6.42 m (with a displacement of 22600 tons).
4. Order of the Russian Navy
In December 2010, the French Republic and Russian Federation announced the signing of an agreement on the construction of two Mistral helicopter carriers for armament Navy Russian Federation, at a shipyard located in France. Plus, two more Mistral-type vessels are planned to be manufactured in the Russian Federation, under license conditions. The tender for construction was jointly won by the United shipbuilding corporation and the French company DCNS.
The first of the ships will be built for 3 years from the moment the first advance payment is completed. The next one is 2 years. The Russian Federation will perform 20% of the work at the shipyards in the French port of Saint-Nazaire during the construction of the first ship. During the signing of the contract, all technologies of interest to the Russian Federation were transferred from the French side to the Russian side. This includes the SENIT-9 system and two others.
The height of the hangar in the Mistrals makes it possible to place Ka-29, Ka-27 and Ka-52K helicopters on the hangar deck. It is also expected to operate ships in the Arctic and on ice floes. For this purpose, it is necessary to strengthen the side. But this measure will not lead to significant changes in the technical equipment and design of the UDC. Our state is purchasing a ship fully equipped with technological and navigation equipment, but the helicopters and weapons on board will be manufactured in the Russian Federation. The agreement was signed in January 2011, the letter of intent and the final contract were signed in June of the same year.
Those ships that will be built in France will be transferred to the Pacific Fleet. And big ones cash will be allocated to modernize the infrastructure of garrisons and military camps of the Eastern Military District. The greatest attention will be paid to connections located on the Kuril Islands.
In June 2011, plans were announced to deploy Ka-52 Alligator multi-purpose combat helicopters on the Mistrals, which will belong to the Russian Federation. They will also carry 8 Ka-29 ( transport helicopters) and Ka-52K (combat). Their ratio may vary in accordance with specific tasks.
In February 2012, the ships being built in France were given the names "Sevastopol" and "Vladivostok" in accordance with the reclassifications in guided missile cruisers large anti-submarine ships of the USSR Navy of Project 1134. Those ships that will be completely built in the Russian Federation will receive names based on the cities of “Petropavlovsk”, “Kronstadt”, “Azov” and the large ones of the same name anti-submarine ships 1134-A and 1134-B.
At the same time, it was announced that the Mistrals being built for the Russian Federation would be equipped with main weapons manufactured in the Russian Federation. This includes, for example, missile systems, which are designed to ensure self-defense.
All devices and systems will undergo Russification. Communication and control equipment manufactured in France and Russia will be installed. DCNS will ensure compatibility of all systems. Partially the equipment will be installed in France, partially in the Russian Federation. In Saint-Nazaire, the ships will also be equipped with Russian fire control systems. DCNS will prepare sites for the installation of weapons, and they themselves combat systems equipped on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The surveillance radar will be the Thales MRR-3D-NG radar, which has a G-band wavelength. The same radars are installed on those Mistrals that are part of Navy France.
In the fall of 2012, DCNS entered into a subcontract with Sagem. It will serve as a manufacturer of the Vampir NG optronic search and sighting systems. The first of them will be delivered in 2013, and the second – six months after the first.
The Vampir NG ultra-long-range infrared search and tracking system allows surface combatants to automatically detect, track and inform about threats of various types, ranging from anti-ship missiles with a flat flight path over water to attacking high-speed ships, as well as passive all-round panoramic observation of the surface situation.
Vampir NG can operate in such modes as “coastal”, intended for coastal waters, and “ocean”, intended for long-range surveillance in the open sea.
In March 2014, sea trials of the first ship, Vladivostok, began.
Russia demanded that a number of changes be made to the large landing craft, which should distinguish them from the French project.
- The steel alloys for the hulls were changed to ice class, so that the ships could be operated in the Arctic and on ice floes.
- The ships also became taller due to the re-equipment of the internal docks of the UDC so that helicopters such as the Ka-52K and Ka-28 could be moored there.
- There are places for additional weapons. This includes, for example, large-caliber automatic installations to repel attacks from the sea, rapid-fire artillery weapons and air defense systems. Strengthening weapons will make it possible to use ships on the high seas with a reduced number of surface ships security But as of May 2014, no decision had yet been made to strengthen strike and defensive weapons.
- Living conditions have undergone minor changes.
The outdated Siracuse satellite communication system at Vladivostok will be replaced by the Centaur system made in Russia. It includes the R-794-1 product, which will complement VHF and HF communication transmitters and receivers. The ship's Centaur system reliably transmits data between ships, as well as to the coast station at a speed of 512 kbit/s.
Also, 4 CTM NG boats will be built for Vladivostok by October 2014. They are 27 m long and 7 m wide, and also have stern and bow ramps for landing troops, which increases their maneuverability. They have expanded the range of possible actions under heavy rolling conditions, and the speed has been increased to 20 knots.
In 2013, Dmitry Rogozin stated that since the Russian Federation does not produce fuel for the engines that power the Mistrals, domestic chemists will need to find a way out of this situation.
In February 2014, French specialists began training the crew of the first helicopter carrier in St. Petersburg. Continuation of studies in Saint-Nazaire was expected to begin in June. Previously, a number of Russian officers arrived at the port in May. Our sailors will spend the summer in Saint-Nazaire, after which they will go to Kronstadt on the Vladivostok. Sea trials took place in September.
In the fall of 2014, high-tech equipment was stolen at Vladivostok, located in Saint-Nazaire.
5. Representatives
- "Mistral" Shipyard - DCNS/Alstom; Laid down - July 10, 2003; Launching - October 6, 2004; Date of signing: February 2006; Fleet - French Navy
- "Tonnere" Shipyard - DCNS/Alstom; Laid down - August 26, 2004; Launching - July 26, 2005; Date of signing: December 2006; Fleet - French Navy
- "Dixmude" Shipyard - DCNS/STX Europe; Laid down - April 18, 2009; Launching - December 18, 2010; Signing date: January 2012; Fleet - French Navy
- "Vladivostok"; Shipyard - DCNS, STX Europe/Baltic Shipyard; Laid down - February 1, 2012 (construction of sections), 02/01/2013 (official laying, assembly); Launching - 10/15/2013; Signing date: November 2014 (plan); Fleet - Pacific Fleet Russian Navy
- "Sevastopol"; Shipyard - DCNS, STX Europe/Baltic Shipyard; Laid down - June 18, 2013; Launching - November 20, 2014; Signing date: 2015.
The Egypt Independent reported that the Russian-Egyptian deal on carrier-based Ka-52K helicopters (naval version) for two Mistral-class universal landing ships (UDC) has entered its final phase. In the very near future, no later than the end of May, the Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE) will make the final and expected decision.
The Mistral UDC, as is known, can carry up to 16 helicopters, however, most likely, Cairo will order 8 helicopters per ship. According to available information, work is currently underway to adapt the Ka-52K to the requirements of the Egyptian side.
In addition to the Alligators, Moscow, firstly, will return to the Mistral the equipment removed after the termination of the well-known contract, and secondly, together with Paris, it will provide maintenance ships and, thirdly, will train Egyptian crews. Thus, we can talk about the beginning of the formation of a new strategic alliance in the Middle East.
Let us recall that in January 2017, Egypt announced the creation of its Southern Fleet. In addition to the Mistrals, built by STX France from Saint-Nazaire (France), it will include the French-Italian multi-purpose frigate FREMM, 4 Gowind 2500 class corvettes and 4 German-built Project 209 diesel-electric submarines. It is obvious that the capabilities of this group of warships without air support do not correspond to the stated geopolitical ambitions.
In this matter, Russia plays an extremely important role, which, together with France, pushed through a deal to sell “its former” Mistrals specifically to Egypt, whose relations with the United States sharply deteriorated in the summer of 2013 - after the overthrow of an Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. The shameless US interference in the internal affairs of Egypt by supporting the so-called “Arab Spring” became a cold shower for the majority of Egyptians, who realized into what abyss the Americans were pushing them.
It is logical that Cairo began to prefer Paris and Moscow in matters of military cooperation, which, despite pressure from Washington, were able to maintain business contacts between themselves. Egyptian journalist Ahmed Syed, tracking the history of helicopter carriers, noted the special warm relations between Egyptian, French and Russian specialists working on the ships.
The fact is that the refusal to supply Mistrals to our country had a negative impact on the reputation of STX France in particular, and the image of the entire French military-industrial complex. This was evidenced by a survey of French society in 2015, when 72% of citizens of the 5th Republic were convinced that compliance with military contracts is in the national interest, while their failure is fraught with great economic risks.
That is why Paris did everything to keep the wolves fed and the sheep safe. France returned 949.7 million euros in advance payment to Russia, and actually transferred three key technologies, including large-block construction of helicopter carriers and waterproof protection from Admiralteïski. The newspaper Le monde estimated the cost received by Moscow design documentation for UDC in the amount of 220 million euros.
At the same time, from a formal point of view, France fulfilled all the requirements of the “Washington regional committee” to boycott Moscow. As a result, Paris's reputation as a reliable arms supplier was restored, which had a positive impact on the results of the French military export system, which was able to sharply increase supply volumes.
From the very beginning of the discussion of the details of the sale of the Mistrals to Egypt, it was clear that Egyptian sailors would need active support from our Ministry of Defense. Helicopter carriers were built taking into account Russian requirements and under Russian systems. It is technically possible to rebuild them to NATO standards, but it is not commercially justified: it is cheaper to send them for scrap.
In any case, the Secretary General for Defense and national security 5th Republic Louis Gautier, who was the main negotiator for the French, admitted that many difficult agreements remained behind the scenes, where even emissaries were not allowed Obama. Meanwhile, if we return to the original Russian-French contract on the Mistrals, then the issue of technology transfer was on the agenda of the agreement as an integral part of it.
If the Russian Federation wins the helicopter tender (and the probability is very high), then Egyptian specialists will allow Russian naval engineers and designers to work on all Mistral systems. This will allow our specialists to understand in practice how NATO helicopter carriers operate. In fact, the Russian Ministry of Defense does not hide the fact that the experience of such cooperation will be taken into account when developing similar vessels.
Apparently, all parties to the deal are keeping promises behind the scenes, ignoring shouts from Washington.
By and large, Russia initially planned to build helicopter carriers according to the French design at its shipyards. And ordering first one, and then two UDCs can be considered as a kind of commercial concession. To call a spade a spade, Moscow received the documentation for the Mistral for nothing. More precisely - for the money of Cairo.
But it is likely that the most advantageous side will be ARE. With the deployment of the Egyptian Southern Fleet, Cairo will become a regional maritime power and will be able to protect the giant gas field recently discovered near its exclusive economic zone. Currently, Türkiye, Israel, Cyprus and Greece are claiming this asset. As experience in resolving this type of dispute shows, the best argument is warships.
Egypt also needs Mistrals to solve current problems, in particular, to protect the trade sea route in the Strait of Aden, as well as to contain Iran and Saudi Arabia in their conflict over the Houthis in Yemen.
Thus, none of the participants in this transaction were left at a loss. The 5th Republic, disobeying the United States, received additional military contracts; Russia received documentation for the Mistral and a new strategic ally, and Egypt acquired the status of a maritime power.
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