Humiliation by the Mistral
In the old days, such people said: “This is for you, grandmother, and St. George’s Day!” On November 10, the Elysee Palace on behalf of President Francois Hollande issued a statement: “The President of the Republic believes that the current situation in eastern Ukraine still does not allow the transfer of Russia to the first” Mistral. In this regard, he considered it necessary to postpone until the new order the examination of the request for permission to deliver the first Mistral of Russia. ”
The French president is hardly intentional, but de facto timed his decision to the autumn St. George's day. This holiday, the day of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, a week before which, and a week later which, before 1592, Russia allowed the peasants to move from one landowner to another, falls on November 26. True, in the old style.
WHAT CAUSED OBJECTIONS
Always belonged to the number of opponents of the transaction on the "Mistral". During the period of its preparation, and even after the signing of the contract, he even spoke on the pages of HBO to criticize this project. And now, when he is on the verge of collapse, it would seem that you need to clap your hands maliciously. Like, they told you, warned! But no, quite different feelings prevail. First of all, I feel humiliation. I, like all citizens of Russia, have been humiliated. Humiliated "Mistral".
Let me briefly recall the arguments of the opponents of the ship deal with France.
Firstly, it is completely unclear why the update of the Russian surface fleet It was necessary to start with the purchase abroad of a landing helicopter dock ship (DVKD), while the Russian Navy primarily required frigates, corvettes and missile boats. And minesweepers in their mass are outdated and can not fight with modern naval mines. They have long needed a replacement.
Secondly, in terms of their capabilities and tactical and technical characteristics, the Mistrals are inferior to other foreign counterparts, for example, the South Korean FCD Tokdo. This is not to mention the American amphibious assault ships (UDC) of the type “Tarawa”, “Wasp” and “America”, as well as the Spanish UDC “Juan Carlos I” and its Australian counterparts of the type “Canberra”, which not only can land , but also able to act as a full-fledged light aircraft carriers. Anyway, to call "Mistral" warships - a big stretch. According to Konstantin Shilov, the general director of one of the Russian concerns involved in the creation and production of ship automation equipment, these DVKDs are equipped with “non-military equipment and should be used either in peacetime or in the prewar period.”
Thirdly, the shipyard STX-France in Saint-Nazaire does not possess any particularly unique shipbuilding technologies. She successfully specialized in the construction of cruise liners. And when with civil orders it became difficult, the company took up the assembly of "Mistral". Yes, on the STX-France build quickly and efficiently. But this is a question of the proper organization and culture of production and timely financing, and not at all advanced military technologies. At the Baltic Shipyard, as is known, the feed halves of the DVKD were also built well and on time.
Fourthly, the extremely high price of the transaction - 1,12 billion euros was objectionable. The cost is clearly too high. No wonder the French Internet resource Breizh-info.com today complains that, they say, "dear to NATO, these DVKD can only be sold to Russia." The overpriced price suggests that there is a corruption component that makes it easy to cut and roll.
Fifth, a strong argument against the Mistral contract was a direct dependence on the political situation. Now we just ran into this reef.
HOW IT WAS
Did the organizers of the transaction did not understand these circumstances? We will not diminish their mental abilities. Of course, understood. But they, undoubtedly, were driven by very strong motives.
They say that the Russian oligarch and senator Sergey Pugachev, who is now Interpol’s international search, was the initiator of the future deal. Among other things, he owned the Baltic Shipyard and the Northern Shipyard, one of the largest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. They say that, in addition to the commission fee for mediation, he expected to earn money on subcontracting work on the first two Mistral hulls, and then on building two more ships at his factories. Perhaps it was so. But the 2008 – 2010 crisis disrupted these plans. Several criminal cases were filed against Pugachev, including on the deliberate bankruptcy of Mezhprombank belonging to him. But if the “Pugachev trace” is present in this matter, then it has long cooled. But other circumstances remain quite visible.
It all started at the Euronaval Paris Naval Show at the end of October 2008. The appearance of Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, was a sensation. It should be noted that, until then, the first persons of the Russian fleet had not spoiled their presence not only with foreign specialized exhibitions, but also for some completely unknown reasons, the St. Petersburg Naval Salon.
Of course, Vladimir Vysotsky could not get past the huge and very well-organized stand of DCNS - the leading French company to build naval technology, if only because the exposition of this company is traditionally located at the very entrance to the exhibition and cannot be avoided. There the Russian commander was greeted very warmly. The admiral was particularly interested in the project of the promising French aircraft carrier RXX. Vladimir Vysotsky did not even rule out the possibility of joint development of a multi-purpose atomic aircraft carrier.
Since I witnessed those events, I can state that the commander in chief, inspecting the DCNS exposition, was not particularly impressed with Mistral. But on the stand of the well-known Thales concern, the Russian admiral was clearly deliberately stopped by the DVKD model. Here we must pay attention to the fact that the Thales concern, which is engaged in the creation of various means of ship electronics, as well as complexes controlling the surface and underwater conditions and navigation systems, is co-owner of DCNS, it owns just under half of the capital of the shipbuilding company (the government owns more than half). Thales high-level managers almost dragged Vysotsky into negotiating apartments. He resigned, referring to the ambulance protocol meeting with the Minister of Defense of France Herve Morin. But this argument was broken: “Do not worry, Mr. Admiral, the minister will wait.” It seems that it was in the negotiation Thales at Euronaval 2008 that the “conception” of the future contract took place.
And now, at the International Naval Show of the IMMS-2009 in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Vysotsky stated for the first time that “he does not exclude the purchase of ships abroad”. And in the same place on the DCNS booth a whole "landing" of Russian admirals landed. A little later, during his stay in Ulan Bator, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General Nikolai Makarov, considered it necessary to open up to journalists: “We are negotiating in order to reach contractual obligations before the end of the year, which will make it possible to manufacture and purchase a Mistral ". Secret became clear. Ardent supporters and locomotives of the future deal were Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and other Russian defense officials, as well as Russian Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov.
But until the end of 2009, the Mistral agreement was not reached. On the one hand, the French, having seized the Firebird of Fortune, bargained for themselves more and more favorable conditions and inflated prices, on the other - a very active position of the opponents of the deal seemed to be about to not allow the signing of the contract. Negotiations dragged on. Even an international pseudo-tender was organized, in which, naturally, the French Mistrals gained the upper hand.
However, the arguments of those who opposed sounded convincing and confused all the cards. And then the main lobbyist of Mistral, the then president of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, now occupying the post of prime minister, entered the game. He made it clear that the acquisition of Mistral is a political decision, a kind of Moscow mercy for the active participation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in mixing the international consequences of the Ossetian-Georgian conflict. But even without “Mistral”, “Sarko”, as enemies called this political figure, earned a lot of points.
The Russian president cared about the fate of the contract, like the father of his beloved child. He even personally arrived at the signing of the 17 June 2011 business deal, as if fearing that the representatives of Rosoboronexport, which were instructed to sign the document, would scatter at the last moment.
By the way, the problematic mistral deal, which today turns into a shame, is one of the last high-profile initiatives by Dmitry Medvedev, which is close to collapse. Previously, the struggle with the light, that is, with incandescent bulbs, summertime, introduced in the winter, and other similar “beginnings”, rested in the Bose.
CASCADE OF BASES
What does the decision of the head of the Fifth Republic of November 25 mean? First of all, the transfer of Russia to the helicopter-landing ship dock "Vladivostok", built at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, is once again postponed. After all, originally it was planned that this ship would go under the St. Andrew’s flag until the end of October of this year. Then the date of transfer and acceptance was shifted to November 14. DCNS, responsible for implementing the project, sent out invitations to the relevant ceremony, including Russian officials, on that date. But two days before the events at DCNS and other French enterprises and organizations, one way or another connected with the Russian Mistrals, in the literal sense of the word, they no longer contacted: they did not pick up the handsets, did not respond to emails and faxes. Soon it became known that the leadership of DCNS dismissed Yves Destefani, an employee who was in charge of the Mistral supply program to Russia and sent out invitations.
Further - more. Russian sailors who are in St. Nazaire for training in the management and maintenance of the Mistral, have ceased to be allowed on board the Vladivostok. However, the French Ministry of Defense intervened, which again gave the go-ahead to continue studying Russian sailors.
Then came the encouraging news that Vladivostok will leave for St. Petersburg on November 28. He was even appointed the chief of the DVKD’s transition to Russia - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vice Admiral Alexander Fedotenkov.
At the same time, contradictory statements were made in Paris. For example, French Finance Minister Michel Sapin argued that "the conditions for the transfer of the Mistral helicopter carrier to Russia are not yet available." But French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a speech at the National Assembly: "The transfer of the Mistral helicopter carrier to Russia will be carried out soon, but the exact date has not been determined."
And November 25 became aware of the verdict of Francois Hollande. Until this is a final failure. People familiar with the text of the contract show that the French side has almost three months to execute it, which are calculated from November 14. That is, until the middle of February next year, we must endure French slaps and substitute the right cheek for the left cheek.
Who will answer for it?
We are comforted that, say, if France refuses to supply the DVKD, we will even win, because Paris will have to return not only the advance, but also pay a substantial fine. Experts in this field call the most varied amounts of compensation: from 200 – 250 million euros to 3 – 10 billion. The last figures seem to be too high. But to compensate for the losses, you will have to try hard. Already formed groups of qualified lawyers who will defend the interests of Russia in international courts. However, it should not be forgotten that France also has strong lawyers and they have more experience in such matters. In other words, for now compensation is a crane in the sky.
The arguments that France, by refusing to supply Mistrals to Russia, will undermine its authority as a reliable arms exporter, are not convincing either. Some even referred to Delhi, which, in the light of Paris’s unsightly position on the DVKD, was almost ready to abandon the purchase of 126 Rafale combat aircraft. In this regard, a high-ranking representative of the Indian Ministry of Defense even made a statement that "the Rafale deal with France is valid and there are no problems with it." And Egypt, in the midst of the passions around the Mistrals, asked Paris for urgent purchase of a Normandy frigate of the type FREMM.
Do not indulge yourself with illusions. Foreign states show only polite attention to the conflict with the Mistrals, but they build their policy in the sphere of military-technical cooperation solely on the basis of their own interests.
It is possible that Vladivostok will be given to us all the same. For example, in the "Christmas window". But the problems with the second ship, Sevastopol, will not be less. Moscow will fool their heads for another whole year, while Paris, meanwhile, will try to find a buyer for it. And it is likely to sell, albeit for a smaller amount, but in any case, the losses will be significantly reduced.
Of course, the United States played a big role in torpedoing the Russian Mistral. No wonder Barack Obama led long conversations with Francois Hollande, and Secretary of State John Kerry still 20 November, that is, five days before the announcement of the Elysée Palace memorandum, he called the French position on the transfer of helicopter carriers to Russia.
However, the main culprits of humiliation of Russia are not malicious Americans, but Russian officials who, for selfishness or by thoughtlessness, promoted this deal. They are well known and in good health. With them, and ask. But this is hardly possible with us.
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