Pertahanan Republik Indonesia

Mistral class cutaway (photo : Defense Industry Daily)

He said that the military would negotiate with the French Defense Ministry and a French shipbuilding company he didn't name, to buy a Mistral-class helicopter carrier that could carry 16 helicopters, 40 tanks or 900 troops. Russian shipyards would then produce three or four additional carriers with France's aid, Makarov said.

"Before the year's end, we plan to obtain contract agreements with a French company allowing the construction and purchase of this ship," Makarov told reporters. "There are no ships of this class in Russia."

France's Navy has two of the 21,300-ton carriers in service, and one more is under construction at the Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire dockyards.

Speculation that the military was interested in buying the helicopter carrier, which costs about $1 billion, according to expert estimates, first surfaced in the local Vedomosti and Kommersant newspapers last month, but Russian officials denied the reports.

Russia is negotiating the purchase of one ship at present, and later planning to acquire 3-4 ships to be jointly built in Russia (photo : Defense Industry Daily)

Several Russian defense analysts have questioned the expediency of such a costly purchase in the name of national security. Any military conflicts likely to involve Russia would be with its neighbors, like the war last August with Georgia, which would require land troops and equipment rather than a sea vessel, they say.

Manned by 160-strong crew, a Mistral carrier can also carry four assault landing boats, and is armed with two Simbad missile air defense units, two 30mm Breda-Mauser guns and four 12.7mm machine guns.

Russia has already departed recently from its policy of being over-protective of domestic arms producers by buying 12 spy drones from Israel earlier this year for $53 million.

(Defense News)