A Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter maneuvers on the deck of the French Navy amphibious ship Mistral in Saint Petersburg. (French Navy photo)

French Ship Mistral Hosts Russian Naval Aviation

(Source: French Navy; issued Nov. 30, 2009)

(Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)

“This day will mark history.” These are the words uttered on November 27, 2009 by the Director General and Chief Designer of the Kamov firm, Mr Sergei Viktorovich Mikheyev, at the first landing of the Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter aboard a helicopter carrier. In this case, the ship was the French Navy’s Bâtiment de Projection et Commandement (BPC) Mistral.

Having barely sailed out of the Neva, in the heart of St. Petersburg, where the Mistral made a four-day visit, the ship made a “cross deck” landing exercise with Russian Navy helicopters. For over an hour, several deck landings were made by a Ka-27 (Helix anti submarine warfare helicopter), a Ka-29 (assault transport helicopter) and the impressive Ka-52, which also simulated a refueling on the flight deck of the Mistral.

The Ka-52 is Russia’s latest combat helicopter, and like other helicopters designed by the Kamov design bureau is fitted with coaxial main rotors. Thanks to the absence of anti-torque tail rotor, they offer stability and exceptional agility. Another originality of the Ka-52 is its ejector seats, which allow its two pilots, installed side by side, to be extracted from the aircraft after the blades are blown off in less than 6 seconds.

The Ka-52, which has not yet entered active service, thus made its first deck landings on the Mistral, whose choice is a strong symbol of the friendship between Russia and France.

Further evidence of the close Franco-Russian relationship was given by the participation of a French officer to the KA-29’s deck landings. Ensign Rémi Wasseln, helicopter flight deck officer on the Mistral, made several landings in the Mistral aboard the Ka-29. It is with ill-concealed joy that he commented on these bilateral exercises: “It’s a rare moment that I experienced, and I will have fond memories of being able to fly over the Mistral in the Ka-29 while a Ka-52 was in the landing circuit. The crew of the Ka-29 was very friendly, and showed great kindness to me. I look forward to working again with the Russian navy, maybe with the Ka-52,” he said.

In unison, General Nikolai Victirivitch Kuklev, acting commander of the Russian Naval Air Arm, M. Mikheev and Captain Didier Piaton, commander of the Mistral, welcomed the ease with which these exercises were smoothly conducted. Adapting protocols, acclimatizing to new operational cultures, and communicating when not speaking the same language are not easy accomplishments. These difficulties have been overcome by the common desire of the Russian naval aviation and the French navy to mark this day in history by allowing the Ka-52 Russian made its first deck landings on the French Mistral.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Russian government has shown interest in purchasing one or more Mistral-class amphibious ships from France, and the visit to St. Petersburg was an initial demonstration of its capabilities.

-ends-

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/110281/russian-helicopters-land-on-french-navy-lpd.html#

taken from another forum (google translation)

a summary of the current Renovation Program of the Navy, current PEAMB, to run until the year 2030.Foram excluded from the modernization programs. The total planned investment and $ 95 billion (including the upgrades in progress).

FLEET (except Naval Aviation), and DHN Forces District:

15 submarines, diesel-electric (4 contractors);
06 nuclear propulsion submarines (1 contract);
02 aircraft carriers (similar to Charles De Gaulle with conventional propulsion);
04 multiple-purpose ships (these ships will be the Mistral class);
30 escort ships;
04 ships carrying aid;
05 vessels logistical support;
01 submarine rescue ship;
12 ocean patrol vessels of 1,800 tons;
27 patrol vessels of 500 tons (6 contractors / construction);
04 patrol vessels of 200 tons;
14 river patrol boats;
05 ships of hospital care;
08 tankers and support river;
08 sweepers;
08 minesweepers;
12 tugs of the high seas;
01 ship Oceanographical;
04 ships activities;
01 research vessels, and
01 polar ship (class icebreakers).

Naval Aviation:

48 aircraft for high-performance air defense;
08 AEW & C aircraft / CDO / tankers;
16 ASW helicopters / ASuW (4 SH70 acquired);
66 medium helicopters overall employment (16 engaged EC725);
60 light helicopters for general use, and
30 light helicopters instruction.

Corps:

78 cars caterpillar amphibians;
26 tanks;
42 armored personnel carriers (Piranha IIIC);
36 shells campaign;
06 rocket launchers;
02 air defense systems, and
02 electronic warfare systems.

Weapon Systems:

Heavyweight torpedo;
Lightweight torpedoes;
Minas contact and influence;
Surface-surface missiles;
Surface-to-air missiles;
Sub-surface missiles;
Air-ground rockets;
Anti-tank missiles;
Rocket missile decoys;
Rocket torpedo decoys;
Pumps depth;
Smart bombs;
Explosives;
Naval ammunition;
Ammunition light weapons;
Artillery ammunition, and
Fireworks in general.

also:

In recent months, after the Navy of Brazil will create programs for future escorts ocean patrol vessels, ship logistics and carrier, shipyards, several countries began to present their proposals, they say, would have full support their respective governments. As for aircraft carriers, it should be noted that the Navy of Brazil intends to operate a multi-purpose vessel, which may be one LHA or LHD (similar concept to the Spanish project for Australia and other, more conventional, to replace the São Paulo Carrier .

continues(in portuguese)
>>> http://pbrasil.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/especial-prm-reaparelhamento-da-marinha-do-brasil-candidatos-e-previsoes/

again talks about the PLAN training on the São Paulo:

Monday, November 16, 2009
An update on the training of PLAN officers in Brazil.
Six month ago, it was reported that China and Brazil had reached an agreement to train PLA Naval personnel in Brazil on aircraft carrier operations. The recently reached “five-point consensus” agreement during the Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim’s visit to China seems to add credence to the earlier report.

China, Brazil reach five-point consensus to strengthen military exchanges

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-11/17/content_12471017.htm

http://www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-17 00:13:38

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie (L) and visiting Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim inspect the guard of honour in Beijing, China, Nov. 16, 2009. (Xinhua/Liu Jiansheng)

BEIJING, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) — China and Brazil here on Monday reached the five-point consensus to strengthen bilateral military exchanges during talks between their senior military officers.

Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie held talks with visiting Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim Monday afternoon.

The two sides have decided to increase group visits and strengthen young and middle-aged military officer exchanges. They would also seek to expand cooperation on military and personnel training and conduct exchanges and coordination in peacekeeping actions.

China and Brazil would enhance cooperation on military industry and science and technology. And a joint commission of the defense ministries of the two countries would be established for further exchanges and cooperation.

During the talks, Liang said China-Brazil relations have entered a new phase of comprehensive development since Chinese President Hu Jintao and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula visited each other’s country in 2004.

The pragmatic cooperation in various areas between the two countries has been continuously enhanced and their strategic partnership has been increasingly deepened, Liang said, adding that their military ties have developed smoothly with frequent high-level visits and increased pragmatic exchanges and cooperation.

Liang said, the two armed forces are expected to explore new areas of cooperation and further their friendly cooperation.

Nelson Jobim said Brazil hoped to continuously deepen its pragmatic military cooperation with the Chinese armed forces within the framework of their strategic partnership.
Editor: Yan

Here is a good review from the “China Brief” back in June 12 on the training program.
http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=35116&tx_ttnews[backPid]=13&cHash=f072084889

Publication: China Brief Volume: 9 Issue: 12
June 12, 2009 08:14 AM Age: 157 days
Category: China Brief, In a Fortnight, Military/Security, China and the Asia-Pacific, Latin America
By: Russell Hsiao

NAe Sao Paulo

In a May 9 interview with Brazilian defense, strategy and intelligence news website Defasanet, Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim stated that Brazil and China had reached an agreement to train personnel from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in Brazil. In the interview (available in Portuguese), Jobim announced that the two sides reached a training agreement to stage PLAN officers aboard the NAe Sao Paulo, Brazil’s Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier (Defesanet, May 13). There has been no reported official confirmation from the Chinese government concerning this agreement, however, on May 19 the official Xinhua News Agency released a news report in its Spanish portal (no equivalent has been found in the news agency’s Chinese or English portal), which cites remarks that Jobim made to the media about the nature of the plan in question. The Xinhua report cited Jobim as saying that the agreement was reached in April during Navy Admiral Carlos Soares de Moura Neto’s official visit to Qingdao to attend the PLAN’s 60th Anniversary Naval Review (Xinhua News Agency [Spanish], May 20). The defense minister noted that the Chinese wanted aircraft carriers for power projection, and that he hopes naval cooperation between Brazil and China can serve as the gateway for defense cooperation in other areas (Defesanet, May 13, Xinhua News Agency [Spanish], May 20). Jobim is planning a visit to China in September or October, which analysts say is likely to finalize the training agreement.

Although the details of this alleged agreement are still unknown, given the chronic lack of funding for the NAe Sao Paulo within Brazil’s national budget, some observers speculate that a part of the deal may involve the Chinese paying for some of the restoration of the aircraft carrier in return for some real on-deck operational experience for its carrier officers. An article that appeared in a Chinese naval university’s website, “Why did China Choose Brazil to Train it Carrier Pilots?” referenced an unspecified source as saying that the Chinese will provide technical support to Brazil for constructing its nuclear submarines (Haijun.xaut.edu.cn, June 1). Western and Chinese analysts believe that at a minimum this agreement will allow the Chinese access to Brazilian naval aviation expertise in addition to the carrier itself. In any event, training of PLAN officers on NAe Sao Paulo would accelerate the development of Chinese capacity in naval aviation, which has been a major weakness in China’s efforts to operationalize an aircraft carrier.

There are currently nine navies with aircraft carriers in active service, and the United States, France, Russia and Brazil are the only four naval forces that have operational aircraft carriers capable of launching and recovering conventional aircraft. Reports that appeared in the Chinese press in the past have suggested that the PLAN is planning to employ the CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) launch and recovery system for its carriers. This may explain why Chinese leaders have selected the NAe Sao Paulo as the operational carrier for training its future star carrier officers. Moreover, France is restricted from participating in any technical training that may lead to a possible transfer of sensitive technology to China due to the current EU embargo on China. On the other hand, Russian—and the British navy, which will launch its Queen Elizabeth class carriers from 2014 to 2018—operates STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) system, thus Brazil appears to be the only viable candidate for the PLAN if they intend to adopt the CATOBAR system. In addition, China’s turn to Brazil may be the result of the standstill in Sino-Russian defense cooperation, Russia recently suspended negotiations to sell China—its number one client—the Su-33 fighter jet due to allegations that the Chinese are illegally copying the Su-27SK and other Russian military hardware and technology (Defense News, May 4; Haijun.xaut.edu.cn, June 1).

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/

Is the Kirov on the background the Lazarev or the Nakimov?

also, is this confirmed?:

Admiral Nakhimov December 30, 1988 Undergoing overhaul at Sevmash since 1999. To rejoin the navy by 2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_battlecruiser_Dzerzhinsky

Unbelievers!

The radar’s sole purpose is to detect who is cheating on blackjack and poker! :diablo::D

Communiqué of Hervé Morin, Minister of Defence

(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued Oct. 12, 2009)

(Issued in French only; unofficial translation by defense-aerospace.com)

PARIS — Hervé Morin, the minister of defence, chaired a meeting of the Ministerial Defence Investment Committee on October 12, 2009. The minister decided to launch:

— design studies of the “logistical fleet” program, which aims to equip the French navy by 2020 with four multipurpose resupply ships capable of sustaining operations of an aircraft carrier task force and of an amphibious task force;

— design studies for Phase 4 of the Système de Commandement et de Conduite des Opérations Aériennes (Air operations command and management system, SCCOA) program. This version of the SCCOA system will allow a significant improvement of national radar coverage in Metropolitan France, achievement of a permanent space surveillance capability, and the rationalisation of France’s detection and control centers, which will be made interoperable to NATO standards.

The minister also decided to award a framework, multiyear contract for the operational sustainment of the Leclerc main battle tank for a period of 10 years. This contract, which will be awarded in the coming weeks to Nexter, as prime contractor, contains several innovations:

— it combines, for the first time, industrial sustainment services under the overall responsibility of a single prime contractor;

— it includes performance committments guaranteed by the prime contractor; as a multiyear contract vehicle, it will provide Nexter and its subcontractors with long-term visibility of their industrial work schedule, allowing them to optimize their organization.

-ends-

from defense-aerospace.com

Antony to visit Russia next week
Fresh deal for ‘Gorshkov’
Kalyan Ray, New Delhi, Oct 9, DHNS:

After years of prolonged negotiations, India may finally ink a fresh deal with Russia to refit aircraft carrier ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ at a higher price during Defence Minister A K Antony’s visit to Moscow next week.

The price negotiation is believed to have been closed in August when a Russian delegation visited New Delhi. The Indian delegation toured Savmash dockyard and discussed the escalated price with the Russian team in June.

Russia had demanded $2.9 billion as against the 2004 contracted price of $974 million. The Cabinet Committee on Security is understood to have approved additional payment for the carrier, though the amount has not been divulged.

The Comptroller and Auditor General’s report in July said, the Centre was likely to pay $1.82 billion out of which $ 522 million has been earmarked for sea trials for which a meagre provision of $27 million was made in the original contract signed in 2004. But the additional payment could actually be more as the CAG was denied access to Gorshkov papers in the last one year.

Russia blamed non-payment of additional amounts in the last two years for slow down in the refit work. The work pace can be accelerated once the money is committed. Both sides have agreed on an updated schedule for sea trial of the carrier, which will be renamed ‘INS Vikramaditya’. The carrier is to undergo trial by 2011-12 and commissioned by 2014.

In the absence of a new aircraft carrier, the ageing ‘INS Viraat’ has been refitted once again to sustain for another five years by which ‘Admiral Gorshkov should be ready.
During his three day official tour, Antony will also review the progresses made in other joint projects like indigenous manufacture of T-90 tanks, upgrading Su-30 MKI fleet, development of next generation hypersonic cruise missile called Brahmos-2, fifth generation fighter and medium lift transport aircraft.

Antony is likely to emphasise New Delhi’s interest in ensuring that the development phase of the fifth generation fighter is completed by 2016, as originally anticipated, so that the induction of the aircraft into the IAF can begin by 2017. India and Russia are likely to finalise a joint venture company — in the line of Brahmos — which would design, develop and produce the medium-lift transport aircraft in the 15-20 tonne class.

Manmohan’s visit
The Defence Minister is also expected to complete the ground work for the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s forthcoming visit to Russia in December for a Summit meeting with President Dimitri Medvedev.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/29631/fresh-deal-gorshkov.html