ST.PETERSBURG. Nov 2 (Interfax) - The United Ship Construction Corporation (USC) and its French analog, DCNS France, have signed an agreement to set up a consortium for building warships and civilian vessels, including ships of the Mistral class, an Interfax correspondent has reported.
The agreement was signed by USC President Roman Trotsenko and DCSN Director General Patrick Boissier in St.Petersburg on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minster and chairman of the USC board of directors Igor Sechin said that the agreement signed opens up a new chapter in the history of Russian-European cooperation in shipbuilding.
"This document lays the groundwork for cooperation in civil and military shipbuilding between Russian and French companies," Sechin sad.
Gen. Benoit Puga, the French president's military advisor, made special mention of the importance of the agreement reached and wished "good luck and fair seas and following wind to the new consortium."
"The consortium has good prospects and meets the interests of both states," Puga said.
Trotsenko told reporters that the agreement envisions exchanges of know-how and experience.
Asked whether a Mistral-class ship will be the first project to be implemented by the new consortium, Trotsenko said, "We will participate in everything that is seen as gainful for the consortium, where work will bring a profit."
On the construction of civilian vessels, he said the consortium will center on technologically sophisticated ships, including icebreakers needed to explore the Arctic.
The Mistral warship has a standard displacement of 16,500 tonnes, a length of 199 meters, a beam of 32 meters and a draft of 6.2 meters. Maximum speed is 18.8 knots, and the voyage range is 19,800 miles.
The ship carries 16 helicopters (including eight landing helicopters and eight assault helicopters). Six helicopters can be placed on the ship's deck simultaneously. Also the ship carries four light landing cutters or two air-cushion landing cutters.
The cargo deck with the length of 122 meters and a width of 13.5 meters can carry up to 1,100 tonnes of cargo, up to 470 marines (900 on short distances), 40 tanks or 70 vehicles. The ship is armed with two Simbad air defense launchers, two 30-millimeter Breda-Mauser artillery systems and four 2.7-millimeter machine guns.
The ship has a hospital with 69 beds and carries up to 150 staff officers. The crew size is 160, including 20 officers.
The French Navy has two Mistral helicopter carriers and is building a third one.
According to unofficial sources, the ship costs about 500 million euros.