Rock Bottom: Russian Navy buys French warships.

[Lonestar]

Military.com

Russia said Wednesday it plans to buy a new helicopter-carrying assault warship from NATO-member France in an unprecedented deal experts say reflects Kremlin efforts to accelerate military modernization.

The agreement for purchase of one Mistral-class naval ship also equipped with hovercraft and landing craft will be completed by the end of the year, the Russian chief of staff, General Nikolai Makarov, said.

He did not name a price, but the Russian government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported this month that the ship, which can carry 16 heavy helicopters, 470 airborne troops and other gear, costs 700 million euros (995 million dollars).

As an aside, the Mistral is actually a nice piece of kit, and provides more bang for the buck than the Goldplated Mega-LHDs that the USN purchases(the only reason why we build them so big is to maintain the fiction that we're going to have a forced-entry situation with anyone more organized than the Somalis).

[Dis]

The real question is why the need such a ship.

[Lonestar]

The real question is why the need such a ship.

That's easy, power projection, disaster relief, getting out nationals who are trapped in the embassy surrounded by a mob of locals, etc.

If Russia was embarking on a course of building gi-normous LHD/LHAs of the USN type, then you might have something to worry about. Although even then the you would be worrying about something silly, We can't perform "forcible entry" procedures against anyone more organized than Somalis, why would you expect the Russians be able to?

[Dis]

I suppose those are valid reasons. I was just thinking much of their power is spread over one land mass (2 continents- but the same land mass), and didn't really see a need to project power to other continents.

[Zkribbler]

I becha it'll be stationed in the Black Sea, just a little bit north of Georgia.

[Lonestar]

I becha it'll be stationed in the Black Sea, just a little bit north of Georgia.

And Bingo was his name-oh

[Patroklos]

Russia

[Dis]

I becha it'll be stationed in the Black Sea, just a little bit north of Georgia.

I was hoping that would not be the case. Don't they learn their lesson yet? Silly Russians. Not that americans are much better. We are more than happy to repeat the Russians mistakes (I'm talking Afghanistan if you haven't figured that out)

[Asher]

That's easy, power projection, disaster relief, getting out nationals who are trapped in the embassy surrounded by a mob of locals, etc.

Disaster relief? Russia?

What do they care. They cause most of them.

[Lonestar]

I was hoping that would not be the case. Don't they learn their lesson yet? Silly Russians. Not that americans are much better. We are more than happy to repeat the Russians mistakes (I'm talking Afghanistan if you haven't figured that out)

I believe the lesson learned was "Georgia is more than willing to jab at us so we should be more than willing to return the favor."

Russia stomped the Hell out of Georgia, and they never had overwhelming superiority in troops in-theater, or undisputed control of the air. By any standard Russia won.

[Dis]

no doubt they can win. But all their little satellite annexed countries left them before in 91, so why do they think they can keep countries that do not identify themselves as russian?

[Japher]

I becha it'll be stationed under the Black Sea, just a little bit north of Georgia.

Fixed.

[Kontiki]

Ah, yes, that little Georgian conflict. I remember how much fun it was to mock Lancer and others who predicted that it would result in a massive US military response and quite likely WWIII.

[Lonestar]

no doubt they can win. But all their little satellite annexed countries left them before in 91, so why do they think they can keep countries that do not identify themselves as russian?

Why do you think that Georgia can keep parts of of their country that identify themselves as Russian?

Remember, THAT was the underlying cause of the Georgia-Russia war, not because Putin was twirling his mustache, planning on annexing Georgia.

[DinoDoc]

Why do you think that Georgia can keep parts of of their country that identify themselves as Russian?

I thought you were pro-Lincoln?