vijaytripoli
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Russian Military Pictures and Videos
- Thread starter A.V.
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vijaytripoli
Regular Member
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vijaytripoli
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bhramos
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hi brother its an AESA,
which even our MKI's may get.
MKI's will be defenatly superior to Su-35bm.
may be even in Stealth too.
HAL is designing Carbon Composite Airframe For MKI's which would Increase Range & Performance 20-30% better then now.
this Airframe project had already started .
its same as LCA.
this could increase Weapons load,
Weight of plane
flight endurance & manovring
so many in terms of technological benfits..
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Can you refer a source for this news/claim?
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Russian Military developments
Russians launched Twitter attack to hit Georgian blogger Cyxymu
Hackers from Russia may have attacked Google, Twitter and Facebook in an attempt to silence a pro-Georgian blogger, it has emerged.
A year after troops from the two countries became locked in a five-day war, the co-ordinated cyber assaults shut down Twitter for a couple of hours and disrupted access for Facebook users.
LiveJournal, a blogging site, was also hit while Google managed to fend off "denial-of-service" attacks. The hacking technique uses thousands of compromised computers to contact a single site at the same time, preventing legitimate traffic from getting through.
A Georgian blogger by the name of Cyxymu has accounts on all the websites and was the target, according to a senior security executive at Facebook.
"It was a simultaneous attack across a number of properties targeting him to keep his voice from being heard," Max Kelly told CNET News.
"We're actively investigating the source of the attacks and we hope to be able to find out the individuals involved in the back end and to take action against them if we can."
The micro-blogging site Twitter, used by several million people in Britain, was overwhelmed by the attack. Facebook, which has more than 250 million users worldwide, and Google — because of a YouTube account associated with Cyxymu — were targeted but were not badly affected.
Google said: "Google systems prevented substantive impact to our services. We are aware that a handful of non-Google sites were impacted by a DOS attack, and are in contact with some affected companies to help investigate this attack."
It emerged that hackers also used a botnet to send a flurry of spam e-mail messages that contained links to pages on Twitter, Facebook and other sites written by Cyxymu.
According to Bill Woodcock, research director of the San Francisco-based Packet Clearing House, a charity that tracks internet traffic, when people clicked on the links in the spam e-mails, they were taken to the activist's legitimate web pages, but the process of loading the pages at such volumes overwhelmed some servers and disrupted service.
It was not clear how the spam e-mails were related to the denial of service attacks but a spokesman for Facebook said they could not have brought sites down on their own.
Georgia and Russia today mark a year since the outbreak of their war amid enduring tensions in the volatile Caucasus region. Russia recognised as independent the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after the conflict. Russia insists it moved into Georgia to defend South Ossetia from a Georgian attack aimed at retaking the rebel territory while Georgia claims it faced a "large-scale Russian invasion".
Twitter's co-founder Biz Stone said: "Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks, credit card payment gateways, and in this case, Twitter for intended customers or users. We are defending against this attack."
Graham Cluley, from the internet security specialist Sophos, said on his blog: "A denial-of-service attack occurs when computers bombard a website with requests for information.
"Typically hackers can control thousands of innocent users' computers centrally and command them to visit a site that they wish to flood with traffic, making it impossible for other internet users to get through.
"It's a bit like 15 fat men trying to get through a revolving door at the same time — nothing can move. In the meantime, micro-bloggers around the world are likely to be left twiddling their thumbs."
He said that Twitter needed to build a stronger infrastructure to be able to fight such attacks, which are relatively commonplace on the web.
The site has seen a huge rise in popularity in recent months. Twitter is now the 38th most visited site in Britain. The number of worldwide unique visitors to the Twitter website reached 44.5 million in June, up 15-fold year-on-year, according to comScore data.
Facebook members saw delays logging in and posting to their online profiles. A spokeswoman in the US for the site said: "We’re continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that users have the fast and reliable experience they’ve come to expect from Facebook.”
Denial-of-service attacks are typically carried out by armies of infected computers formed by spreading a computer virus. They are typically used to send out spam or steal passwords, though some can be commanded to overwhelm web sites. Cyber attacks were used by both sides in the Russian-Georgian conflict.
Russians launched Twitter attack to hit Georgian blogger Cyxymu - Times Online
Russians launched Twitter attack to hit Georgian blogger Cyxymu
Hackers from Russia may have attacked Google, Twitter and Facebook in an attempt to silence a pro-Georgian blogger, it has emerged.
A year after troops from the two countries became locked in a five-day war, the co-ordinated cyber assaults shut down Twitter for a couple of hours and disrupted access for Facebook users.
LiveJournal, a blogging site, was also hit while Google managed to fend off "denial-of-service" attacks. The hacking technique uses thousands of compromised computers to contact a single site at the same time, preventing legitimate traffic from getting through.
A Georgian blogger by the name of Cyxymu has accounts on all the websites and was the target, according to a senior security executive at Facebook.
"It was a simultaneous attack across a number of properties targeting him to keep his voice from being heard," Max Kelly told CNET News.
"We're actively investigating the source of the attacks and we hope to be able to find out the individuals involved in the back end and to take action against them if we can."
The micro-blogging site Twitter, used by several million people in Britain, was overwhelmed by the attack. Facebook, which has more than 250 million users worldwide, and Google — because of a YouTube account associated with Cyxymu — were targeted but were not badly affected.
Google said: "Google systems prevented substantive impact to our services. We are aware that a handful of non-Google sites were impacted by a DOS attack, and are in contact with some affected companies to help investigate this attack."
It emerged that hackers also used a botnet to send a flurry of spam e-mail messages that contained links to pages on Twitter, Facebook and other sites written by Cyxymu.
According to Bill Woodcock, research director of the San Francisco-based Packet Clearing House, a charity that tracks internet traffic, when people clicked on the links in the spam e-mails, they were taken to the activist's legitimate web pages, but the process of loading the pages at such volumes overwhelmed some servers and disrupted service.
It was not clear how the spam e-mails were related to the denial of service attacks but a spokesman for Facebook said they could not have brought sites down on their own.
Georgia and Russia today mark a year since the outbreak of their war amid enduring tensions in the volatile Caucasus region. Russia recognised as independent the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia after the conflict. Russia insists it moved into Georgia to defend South Ossetia from a Georgian attack aimed at retaking the rebel territory while Georgia claims it faced a "large-scale Russian invasion".
Twitter's co-founder Biz Stone said: "Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks, credit card payment gateways, and in this case, Twitter for intended customers or users. We are defending against this attack."
Graham Cluley, from the internet security specialist Sophos, said on his blog: "A denial-of-service attack occurs when computers bombard a website with requests for information.
"Typically hackers can control thousands of innocent users' computers centrally and command them to visit a site that they wish to flood with traffic, making it impossible for other internet users to get through.
"It's a bit like 15 fat men trying to get through a revolving door at the same time — nothing can move. In the meantime, micro-bloggers around the world are likely to be left twiddling their thumbs."
He said that Twitter needed to build a stronger infrastructure to be able to fight such attacks, which are relatively commonplace on the web.
The site has seen a huge rise in popularity in recent months. Twitter is now the 38th most visited site in Britain. The number of worldwide unique visitors to the Twitter website reached 44.5 million in June, up 15-fold year-on-year, according to comScore data.
Facebook members saw delays logging in and posting to their online profiles. A spokeswoman in the US for the site said: "We’re continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that users have the fast and reliable experience they’ve come to expect from Facebook.”
Denial-of-service attacks are typically carried out by armies of infected computers formed by spreading a computer virus. They are typically used to send out spam or steal passwords, though some can be commanded to overwhelm web sites. Cyber attacks were used by both sides in the Russian-Georgian conflict.
Russians launched Twitter attack to hit Georgian blogger Cyxymu - Times Online
Russia working on undetectable spy plane
Russia working on undetectable spy plane: air force chief
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR (pictured) and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes.
by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 5, 2009
Russia is working on a series of spyplanes that would be undetectable by air defence systems, the chief of Russia's air force said Wednesday.
"A special role in the air force's future strategy is set for a dramatically new class of spy planes -- high-flying stratosphere aircraft able to monitor a war zone without entering the defended air space," General Alexander Zelin was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes, Zelin said, adding that the airforce had "a sufficient number of them."
However, modern warfare required a higher level of information gathering which had forced the Russian airforce to dramatically upgrade its intelligence corps, Zelin said.
Russia working on undetectable spy plane: air force chief
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR (pictured) and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes.
by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 5, 2009
Russia is working on a series of spyplanes that would be undetectable by air defence systems, the chief of Russia's air force said Wednesday.
"A special role in the air force's future strategy is set for a dramatically new class of spy planes -- high-flying stratosphere aircraft able to monitor a war zone without entering the defended air space," General Alexander Zelin was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes, Zelin said, adding that the airforce had "a sufficient number of them."
However, modern warfare required a higher level of information gathering which had forced the Russian airforce to dramatically upgrade its intelligence corps, Zelin said.
Russia working on undetectable spy plane: air force chief
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR (pictured) and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes.
by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 5, 2009
Russia is working on a series of spyplanes that would be undetectable by air defence systems, the chief of Russia's air force said Wednesday.
"A special role in the air force's future strategy is set for a dramatically new class of spy planes -- high-flying stratosphere aircraft able to monitor a war zone without entering the defended air space," General Alexander Zelin was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes, Zelin said, adding that the airforce had "a sufficient number of them."
However, modern warfare required a higher level of information gathering which had forced the Russian airforce to dramatically upgrade its intelligence corps, Zelin said.
Russia working on undetectable spy plane: air force chief
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR (pictured) and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes.
by Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 5, 2009
Russia is working on a series of spyplanes that would be undetectable by air defence systems, the chief of Russia's air force said Wednesday.
"A special role in the air force's future strategy is set for a dramatically new class of spy planes -- high-flying stratosphere aircraft able to monitor a war zone without entering the defended air space," General Alexander Zelin was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.
Russia currently relies on the Su-24MR and MIG-25RB intelligence airplanes, Zelin said, adding that the airforce had "a sufficient number of them."
However, modern warfare required a higher level of information gathering which had forced the Russian airforce to dramatically upgrade its intelligence corps, Zelin said.
bhramos
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Itv News | Russia working on undetectable spy plane: air force chief
pls post link also.
in 1970's we were offered Su-24 with TOT or license production,
but IAF choose Jaguar which is derived form IJT , and is very much inferior to Su-24 in Load, Range and Performance etc....
what could be the scandal behind it , friends anyone knows pls tell me????????
pls post link also.
in 1970's we were offered Su-24 with TOT or license production,
but IAF choose Jaguar which is derived form IJT , and is very much inferior to Su-24 in Load, Range and Performance etc....
what could be the scandal behind it , friends anyone knows pls tell me????????
Not sure about that however i read somewhere that SU-24 had a very poor record of weapons delivery in the Afghanistan war, will post the link if i find that.
StarScreen
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Are you sure that Jaguars are inferior to Su-24s??? I find the Jaguars to be very capable ground attack aircraft... the Russian are in the process of replacing Su-24s with their latest toy Su-34 Fullback as and when the funds are available... :twizt:
After comparing the spec-sheets of the two planes, I found that the only area where Su-24 excels and that too by a huge margin is the Max Takeoff Weight of 43,755 kg vs. 11,000 kg for the Jaguars. Otherwise both their specs like Maximum speed, Combat radius, Ferry range, Thrust/weight, etc are almost similar.
All said and done, the Su-24s have received a severe flank for under performance.
No such issues for the Jaguar though! From Wikipedia
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Commander outlines future of the Russian Air Force
Commander outlines future of the Russian Air Force
MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - New and modernized aircraft will comprise 70% of the Russian Air Force by 2020, the Air Force commander said on Wednesday.
"We expect 70% of the Air Force strength to be new and modernized aircraft by 2020," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told reporters.
"The development of the Russian Air Force will be carried out through extensive acquisition of new advanced aircraft and continuing modernization of the existing fleet," he added.
STRATEGIC AVIATION AND RECONAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
According to Zelin, Tu-95MC Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bombers and Il-78 Midas aerial tankers will form the backbone of the Russian strategic aviation in the next decade following extensive modernization.
The bombers, in particular, will be equipped with new targeting and navigation systems, which will enable them, in particular, to use conventional unguided bombs with a very high degree of accuracy - effectively engaging any target within 20 meters.
They will also have their operational range increased and their onboard defense systems significantly upgraded, the general said.
In addition, Zelin said Russia had been developing a fifth-generation strategic bomber which could be used effectively in both conventional and nuclear conflicts.
"The new plane will use a wide selection of high-precision weapons, and will have a whole range of new combat capabilities, allowing it to apply new methods to carrying out deterrence tasks," he said.
Russia will also develop in the near future a number of advanced reconnaissance aircraft including a stratospheric plane capable of avoiding enemy air defenses.
"Ultra-high altitude reconnaissance planes will play a key role in future wars because they will be capable of staying in the air for a long time and conduct reconnaissance operations deep into enemy territory while avoiding hostile air defenses," the Air Force commander said.
FRONTLINE AVIATION
The frontline aviation is the core of the Russian Air Force and currently comprises MiG-31B Foxhound interceptors, Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, Su-24M Fencer fighter-bombers, Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft, and MiG-25R Foxbat and Su-24MR Fencer-E tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
Zelin said the Air Force will receive in the next decade not only modernized Su-27SM and MiG-29SMT fighters, but also generation 4++ Su-35S Flanker-E and MiG-35C Fulcrum-F fighters.
"The Russian Defense Ministry will start purchasing large numbers of these aircraft at the beginning of the next decade," the general said.
Meanwhile, Russia's fifth-generation multirole fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft maker, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under a preliminary intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007.
"Flight tests of the [fifth-generation] aircraft are scheduled to start in the second half of 2009, and the aircraft is expected be put into service in the next few years," the commander said.
He also said Su-24 fighter-bombers will soon be replaced by advanced Su-34 Fullback aircraft.
The general reiterated that Russia will start in 2009 the production of the Su-25UBM, a two-seat version of the Su-25SM.
MILITARY TRANSPORT AVIATION
There are up to 300 transport aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force, including An-12 Cub, An-72 Coaler, An-22 Cock, An-124 Condor and Il-76 Candid planes.
The An-12, An-22, and An-26 planes will be decommissioned in the near future, Zelin said.
The An-26 plane will be replaced by Il-112B light transport aircraft with higher payload capacity and better fuel efficiency.
"The first Il-112 is expected to make its maiden flight in 2011. The Air Force will order over 70 planes of this type," the general said.
The An-12 will be most likely replaced by a medium-haul transport plane jointly-developed by Russia and India, Zelin said.
The plane, with a 20-ton cargo capacity, is expected to go in service with the Russian and Indian air forces in about eight years.
The An-124 and its modernized version, the An-124-100, will remain in service as a strategic heavy airlift transport aircraft. In addition, 12 Il-76 aircraft will be modernized to Il-76MD-90A starting in 2011.
HELICOPTERS
The existing fleet of Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters will be fully replaced with new-generation Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters by 2015.
"We have started deliveries of Mi-28N helicopters to combat units [in the North Caucasus military district] and plan to re-equip at least one squadron with these aircraft by the yearend," Zelin said.
"We are also expecting to complete the tests of the Ka-52 helicopter this year," he added.
The Ka-52 is a twin-seat derivative of the Ka-50 Hokum-A attack helicopter, and is designed primarily for reconnaissance and target designation purposes. It is similar to the U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
UAV
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will start playing an increasingly important role in future combat. Given their much lower manufacturing and maintenance costs they could form as much as 40% of the Air Force fleet by 2025, Zelin said.
The Air Force will start receiving domestically-developed attack UAVs in 2011.
"Unmanned and manned aircraft will complement one another, and must be able to accomplish a full range of combat missions in regional or local conflicts," the general said.
Commander outlines future of the Russian Air Force
MOSCOW, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - New and modernized aircraft will comprise 70% of the Russian Air Force by 2020, the Air Force commander said on Wednesday.
"We expect 70% of the Air Force strength to be new and modernized aircraft by 2020," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told reporters.
"The development of the Russian Air Force will be carried out through extensive acquisition of new advanced aircraft and continuing modernization of the existing fleet," he added.
STRATEGIC AVIATION AND RECONAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
According to Zelin, Tu-95MC Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bombers and Il-78 Midas aerial tankers will form the backbone of the Russian strategic aviation in the next decade following extensive modernization.
The bombers, in particular, will be equipped with new targeting and navigation systems, which will enable them, in particular, to use conventional unguided bombs with a very high degree of accuracy - effectively engaging any target within 20 meters.
They will also have their operational range increased and their onboard defense systems significantly upgraded, the general said.
In addition, Zelin said Russia had been developing a fifth-generation strategic bomber which could be used effectively in both conventional and nuclear conflicts.
"The new plane will use a wide selection of high-precision weapons, and will have a whole range of new combat capabilities, allowing it to apply new methods to carrying out deterrence tasks," he said.
Russia will also develop in the near future a number of advanced reconnaissance aircraft including a stratospheric plane capable of avoiding enemy air defenses.
"Ultra-high altitude reconnaissance planes will play a key role in future wars because they will be capable of staying in the air for a long time and conduct reconnaissance operations deep into enemy territory while avoiding hostile air defenses," the Air Force commander said.
FRONTLINE AVIATION
The frontline aviation is the core of the Russian Air Force and currently comprises MiG-31B Foxhound interceptors, Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, Su-24M Fencer fighter-bombers, Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft, and MiG-25R Foxbat and Su-24MR Fencer-E tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
Zelin said the Air Force will receive in the next decade not only modernized Su-27SM and MiG-29SMT fighters, but also generation 4++ Su-35S Flanker-E and MiG-35C Fulcrum-F fighters.
"The Russian Defense Ministry will start purchasing large numbers of these aircraft at the beginning of the next decade," the general said.
Meanwhile, Russia's fifth-generation multirole fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft maker, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under a preliminary intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007.
"Flight tests of the [fifth-generation] aircraft are scheduled to start in the second half of 2009, and the aircraft is expected be put into service in the next few years," the commander said.
He also said Su-24 fighter-bombers will soon be replaced by advanced Su-34 Fullback aircraft.
The general reiterated that Russia will start in 2009 the production of the Su-25UBM, a two-seat version of the Su-25SM.
MILITARY TRANSPORT AVIATION
There are up to 300 transport aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force, including An-12 Cub, An-72 Coaler, An-22 Cock, An-124 Condor and Il-76 Candid planes.
The An-12, An-22, and An-26 planes will be decommissioned in the near future, Zelin said.
The An-26 plane will be replaced by Il-112B light transport aircraft with higher payload capacity and better fuel efficiency.
"The first Il-112 is expected to make its maiden flight in 2011. The Air Force will order over 70 planes of this type," the general said.
The An-12 will be most likely replaced by a medium-haul transport plane jointly-developed by Russia and India, Zelin said.
The plane, with a 20-ton cargo capacity, is expected to go in service with the Russian and Indian air forces in about eight years.
The An-124 and its modernized version, the An-124-100, will remain in service as a strategic heavy airlift transport aircraft. In addition, 12 Il-76 aircraft will be modernized to Il-76MD-90A starting in 2011.
HELICOPTERS
The existing fleet of Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters will be fully replaced with new-generation Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters by 2015.
"We have started deliveries of Mi-28N helicopters to combat units [in the North Caucasus military district] and plan to re-equip at least one squadron with these aircraft by the yearend," Zelin said.
"We are also expecting to complete the tests of the Ka-52 helicopter this year," he added.
The Ka-52 is a twin-seat derivative of the Ka-50 Hokum-A attack helicopter, and is designed primarily for reconnaissance and target designation purposes. It is similar to the U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
UAV
The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will start playing an increasingly important role in future combat. Given their much lower manufacturing and maintenance costs they could form as much as 40% of the Air Force fleet by 2025, Zelin said.
The Air Force will start receiving domestically-developed attack UAVs in 2011.
"Unmanned and manned aircraft will complement one another, and must be able to accomplish a full range of combat missions in regional or local conflicts," the general said.
Russia in talks on buying French warship
MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is discussing the purchase of a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship worth between 300 and 400 million euros ($430-580 mln), a high-ranking source close to the talks said Tuesday.
"Such talks are being held at the level of experts; the Russian side is represented by the Navy, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and plants' representatives. In September we will provide a final conclusion for the Russian Defense Ministry," the source told RIA Novosti.
Earlier a French business daily, La Tribune, said Russia is planning to purchase a Mistral class assault ship from France. The purchase, if successful, would be the first large-scale arms import deal concluded by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Russia first expressed an interest in bilateral cooperation with France in naval equipment and technology in 2008, when Navy chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky visited the Euronaval 2008 arms show in France.
The admiral said at the time that the Russian Navy was interested in "joint research and also direct purchases of French naval equipment."
According to military sources, the possibility of buying a Mistral class amphibious assault ship was discussed at the naval show in St. Petersburg in June this year.
A Mistral class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 main battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The ship is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.
The Russian Kommersant business daily confirmed on Tuesday the possibility of the deal, but said Russian military experts were skeptical about it.
"The Russian Navy lacks the means to finance even the production of corvettes and missile boats, let alone the purchase of large combat ships," the paper quoted Mikhail Barabanov, science editor of the Eksport Vooruzheny (Arms Export) journal, as saying.
Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said "although the practice of arms imports will become more common in Russia in the future, the Mistral deal is rather questionable from a military standpoint, as well as Russia's hopes for the transfer of advanced technologies from France."
Russia's current weapons procurement program through 2015 does not envision construction or purchases of large combat ships, so the possible acquisition of a French Mistral class ship is most likely to happen under the new program for the years up to 2020, which is still in the development.
Russia in talks on buying French warship | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire
MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is discussing the purchase of a French Mistral-class amphibious assault ship worth between 300 and 400 million euros ($430-580 mln), a high-ranking source close to the talks said Tuesday.
"Such talks are being held at the level of experts; the Russian side is represented by the Navy, the United Shipbuilding Corporation, and plants' representatives. In September we will provide a final conclusion for the Russian Defense Ministry," the source told RIA Novosti.
Earlier a French business daily, La Tribune, said Russia is planning to purchase a Mistral class assault ship from France. The purchase, if successful, would be the first large-scale arms import deal concluded by Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Russia first expressed an interest in bilateral cooperation with France in naval equipment and technology in 2008, when Navy chief Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky visited the Euronaval 2008 arms show in France.
The admiral said at the time that the Russian Navy was interested in "joint research and also direct purchases of French naval equipment."
According to military sources, the possibility of buying a Mistral class amphibious assault ship was discussed at the naval show in St. Petersburg in June this year.
A Mistral class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 main battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The ship is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.
The Russian Kommersant business daily confirmed on Tuesday the possibility of the deal, but said Russian military experts were skeptical about it.
"The Russian Navy lacks the means to finance even the production of corvettes and missile boats, let alone the purchase of large combat ships," the paper quoted Mikhail Barabanov, science editor of the Eksport Vooruzheny (Arms Export) journal, as saying.
Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said "although the practice of arms imports will become more common in Russia in the future, the Mistral deal is rather questionable from a military standpoint, as well as Russia's hopes for the transfer of advanced technologies from France."
Russia's current weapons procurement program through 2015 does not envision construction or purchases of large combat ships, so the possible acquisition of a French Mistral class ship is most likely to happen under the new program for the years up to 2020, which is still in the development.
Russia in talks on buying French warship | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire
Shiny Capstar
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I wonder (if they do get a Mistral type vessel) if they will count it as one of the new 'aircraft carriers' the Russian Navy wants to get. It would make it ever so slightly more feasable, even though still very, very unlikely. (The acquiring of 6 Carriers that is).
