Russian military justifies purchase of Mistral warships

Russia has decided to buy Mistral ships from France because it would have taken at least 10 years to develop a similar domestic model, Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov said Thursday.

"It could take at least 10 years to develop a ship similar to Mistral," Makarov said. "And meanwhile someone will create a better weapon [than Mistral]."

Makarov said Russia should buy the best of modern weaponry abroad to be built under license in Russia.

He also said that the Russian state armaments procurement program until 2020 would be adjusted and would total 23 trillion rubles ($785 billion), or 2 trillion rubles ($68 billion) more than originally planned.

Russian warship escorts a 9-vessel convoy in the Gulf of Aden

Pacific Fleet (PF) large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov which is currently deployed off the Horn of Africa escorts a convoy of 9 vessels, reports RIA Novosti referring to a spokesman for Russian Navy. 

"At present, the Russian warship is escorting nine civil vessels through dangerous waters. Totally, there are 8 Russian crewmembers on board those ships", said the official. 

He underlined that Russian Navy would keep on patrolling the piracy-risky regions. "Ships of all four fleets will carry out maritime security tasks rotationally", said the interviewee. 

PF task force which takes part in the international anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden recently escorted the fifth convoy in 2011. 

Fifth task force of Pacific Fleet consisting of large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov, ocean-going salvage tug, and tanker Pechenga arrived to the Gulf of Aden from Vladivostok on Dec 22, 2010. Admiral Vinogradov has two deck-based helicopters conducting permanent aerial reconnaissance. All ships of the task force are reinforced with PF marine units; all of them had passed special training prior to the mission.