Egypt/France agree to Mistral deal

Egypt and France have agreed in principle to the sale of two Mistral helicopter carriers originally bound for the Russian military. Russia has been removing their equipment from the ships, and once that is completed, France will install equipment for the Egyptian military. The negotiations were announced in the last couple of days, and the sale announced today.

It's believed that part of the cost will be absorbed by the Gulf Arab States. Source say that Egypt wants to base one in the Red Sea, near Yemen. Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been in talks to form an Arab military force. The Mistral can carry up to 1,000 troops and 16 helicopters. Egypt is also reported in negotiations to buy several Gowind class warships.

France has agreed to sell two Mistral helicopter carriers to Egypt after their sale to Russia was cancelled in August and will not incur a financial loss in the transaction, government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.

Cairo has sought to boost its military power in the face of a two-year insurgency based across the Suez Canal in the Sinai peninsula and fears the conflict in neighbouring Libya could spill over. Egypt's allies are also keen to burnish its image in a region beset by turmoil.

"They agreed on the principle and the terms of the acquisition by Egypt" of the two Mistral warships, President Francois Hollande's office said in a statement after he spoke to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

uk.reuters.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

That would be a real step-up for the Egyptian navy. Cool move.

a reply to: deckdel

Hmmm, two edges to that sword.....

a reply to: Zaphod58

I remember the Russians ordered them to be fitted with an icebreaker reinforced hull.
Wonder if they will ever touch freezing water at all ...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Any news on how Russia will make up the shortfall to its fleet requirements?

Obviously, Russia and many other countries will no longer be looking to Europe to build warships, and likely, any ships at all.

If you look at civilian and military requirements, that is a lot of ships. Perhaps China will get the contract assuming that Russia can not build them herself.

This is not just two ships, this is all the future ships that may have been built as well.

P

Update :

Egypt delegation will come to Moscow to discuss buying Russian hardware from Mistral

MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Egypt's delegation will come to Moscow after October 20 to discuss possible supplies to that country of Russian hardware of the Mistral-class helicopter carriers, a source at the military-technical cooperation sphere told TASS on Saturday.

"After the 20th, in about a week, a delegation from Egypt will come to us to discuss possible supplies of certain blocks of radio-electronic equipment for the Mistrals, which Egypt has bought from France," the source said.

The source said the Russian military equipment export authority, Rosoboronexport, had a meeting, devoted to further use of the equipment.

Egypt signed a contract on two Mistral-class helicopter carriers on October 10. The vessels may be supplied to Egypt in summer, 2016 along with storm boats.

Reinforced hull. Made out of a10 tankkiller parts?