Saturday, March 08, 2014

The Commercial Minded, the Naive and our Allies

The Soviet carrier program was a disaster for the USSR then Russia. They designed and manufactured several units whose propulsion were so flawed and dangerous the hardly left port (one is now the Chinese Liaoning, and another sold to India), and when it did, the lack of catapults meant the ski jump take offs restricted the weight (i.e. WEAPONS AND FUEL) the aircraft could carry.
That makes the following story rather meaningful
Naval Open Source Intel:
France continues to comply with the terms of the contract and will supply Moscow with two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, French President Francois Hollande announced. “We keep to the terms of the signed contracts. Right now we have no plans to cancel them and we hope to avoid this,” Hollande said at a press conference on Friday.


The Russian JSC Rosoboronexport and the French company DCNS signed a contract to build two helicopter carriers in June 2011. The United Shipbuilding Corporation has been involved in this transaction as a subcontractor to STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.

The first Russian Mistral-class helicopter carrier Vladivostok was put to sea March 5 and went for builders sea trials in the French port of Saint-Nazaire.
Of course, this kind of ship is PRECISELY what would be required to duplicate the Crimean operation far further from shore.
When the Israelis wanted to sell their Phalcon Airborne Early Warning system to China in the early part of the last decade, Mr. Bush said, ‘are you crazy?’ and that ended.
Now we say nothing. Do nothing. Contemplate nothing.
France?
Like finding your wife cheating on you and then she claims as ling as she is there for you, what difference does it make?

No comments: