00:51France: Russia's disputed Mistral warship tugged to dry dock
The Mistral-class amphibious assault ship 'Sevastopol' was moved early Friday in the French port of Saint-Nazaire, an operation that required four tugboats to guide the vessel. The ship, due to be sold to the Russian Navy, was transferred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. local time (0100 and 0400 GMT) to a drydock where work on the boat will continue.
With a length of 199 metres (653 feet), the Sevastopol can carry eight Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters, four Kamov Ka-29TB transport helicopters and four Kamov Ka-27P ASW helicopters. It also boasts two 3M-47 Ghibka surface-to-air missile turrets, two 30-mm AK-630 fully automatic naval close-in weapon systems, and four DP-65 anti-saboteur grenade launchers. It has a top speed of 18.8 knots (34.8 kilometres per hour; 21.6 miles per hour), with a range of roughly 10,800 kilometres (5,800 nautical miles).
Originally ordered in 2011, the acquisition of the Sevastopol and other Mistral-class vessels by the Russian Navy is believed to be the largest defence deal between Russia and the West since World War II. France missed the November 14 deadline to hand over one of the ships, the Vladivostok, with Prime Minister Francois Hollande stating that "conditions to deliver the Mistral are not there."
00:51The Mistral-class amphibious assault ship 'Sevastopol' was moved early Friday in the French port of Saint-Nazaire, an operation that required four tugboats to guide the vessel. The ship, due to be sold to the Russian Navy, was transferred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. local time (0100 and 0400 GMT) to a drydock where work on the boat will continue.
With a length of 199 metres (653 feet), the Sevastopol can carry eight Kamov Ka-52K attack helicopters, four Kamov Ka-29TB transport helicopters and four Kamov Ka-27P ASW helicopters. It also boasts two 3M-47 Ghibka surface-to-air missile turrets, two 30-mm AK-630 fully automatic naval close-in weapon systems, and four DP-65 anti-saboteur grenade launchers. It has a top speed of 18.8 knots (34.8 kilometres per hour; 21.6 miles per hour), with a range of roughly 10,800 kilometres (5,800 nautical miles).
Originally ordered in 2011, the acquisition of the Sevastopol and other Mistral-class vessels by the Russian Navy is believed to be the largest defence deal between Russia and the West since World War II. France missed the November 14 deadline to hand over one of the ships, the Vladivostok, with Prime Minister Francois Hollande stating that "conditions to deliver the Mistral are not there."