Forgotten fact: France almost sold 2 aircraft carriers to Russia

What you need to know: In 2010, Russia almost finalized the purchase of two Mistral-class helicopters from France, which would significantly strengthen its naval capabilities, especially in operations in the Arctic.

-The ships were designed to carry Kamov Ka-52 helicopters and had heated flight decks for Arctic missions. Despite US and NATO opposition, the agreement was close to finalization, but France ultimately canceled it in 2015 due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and aggression against Ukraine.

-The cancellation cost France $444 million but saved the West from strengthening Russia’s naval ambitions, and the ships were eventually sold to Egypt.

The time when the French almost sold two aircraft carriers to Russia

Russia’s aspirations to develop its navy are limitless. Since the time of Peter the Great, Russian leaders have long imagined that their vast continental state would become the dominant maritime power. It never really happened.

Even at the height of the Soviet Union, when Moscow’s challenge to Western maritime democracies was at its height, Russia had the most to gather in terms of threats to U.S. Navy capabilities in the Soviet Navy’s advanced submarine forces.

In the 2000s, when Vladimir Putin and his nationalist-imperialist siloviki took power from pro-Western President Boris Yeltsin, they charged the new government with restoring Russian greatness at home and abroad.

One way Putin’s government sought to make Russia great again was to recreate military capabilities that had been lost or significantly weakened by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Therefore, Putin dreamed of increasing Russia’s naval potential.

Russia wants to be a great naval power

The Russians wanted to be a great naval power, equipped with naval aircraft. The best Moscow managed to do was humiliate itself by clinging to the ailing aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. However, Russian leaders have talked about their desire to build real warships that can carry planes, whether they be full-size aircraft carriers or helicopter carriers.

In fact, in 2010, Moscow was on the verge of finalizing a deal with France under which France would sell two advanced Mistral-class helicopter carriers. It took five years of mutual wrangling between France, its allies and Russia, but France inevitably abandoned the agreement in 2015, just before it came into force. They suffered a loss of over $444 million (€409 million) due to a last-minute decision to cancel the deal.

Specifications

This was a major improvement to the surface fleet of the Russian Navy.

According to design specifications, the Mistral-class helicopter carriers were specially modified for Russia’s needs to carry Kamov Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, and the crew cabins were to be heated. Heating the crew cabins was a key element of operations in the Arctic.

The Americans and their allies were upset with France because these helicopter carriers would increase the limited capabilities of the Russian surface fleet.

Arctic strategy

In 2008, the Russian government announced its intention to more fully develop and dominate the Arctic region. As a resource-rich area largely untapped by other Arctic powers, Moscow sensed an opportunity to capture the High North before any of its competitors did. Mistral-class helicopter carriers with heated decks would enhance Russia’s impressive capabilities in the Arctic.

Even today, the West has dangerously ignored Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic, a part of the world where Moscow could pose a threat to the United States and its partners.

Context

Washington was angry with Paris for trying to make a deal. After all, only two years have passed since Russia invaded Georgia. Ultimately, what ultimately killed the agreement was Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the movement of Russian forces into eastern Ukraine in 2014.

If Moscow had not done so, no amount of hate from France’s allies would likely have stopped the agreement. The Russians would receive two platforms that would undoubtedly catapult their naval capabilities and enable Russian naval engineers to replicate these advanced French systems.

Oh, and having advanced aircraft carriers would likely help Moscow prioritize the development of new fifth-generation combat aircraft that could perform vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) like the US F-35 Lightning II. The Japanese showed the world that a helicopter carrier can easily become an aircraft carrier if the combat aircraft it launches are VTOL.

Currently, the only fifth-generation aircraft Russia has is the Sukhoi-built Su-57. There is no VTOL capability. However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has considered the possibility of creating a fifth-generation aircraft that could perform VTOL. If Russia received these helicopter carriers, it could accelerate research and development of VTOL combat aircraft.

It’s probably a good thing that Russia didn’t receive these boats.

The money was just too good

Türkiye, the other major power in the Black Sea region, has become apoplectic over the potential sale because it would significantly upset the balance of power in the region. Interestingly, the Russians planned to name one of the two ships Sevastopol – the name of the Russian naval base in the Black Sea.

France was upset that it had to cancel the contract. However, it was not a total financial loss for France. One of the ships was completed after a failed deal in 2015. The other was almost completed. The French sold both boats to Egypt. The Mistral misfortune shows how uncertain international relations can be when arms are sold. Sure, France doesn’t want to strengthen Russia’s position any more than Türkiye or the United States. But sometimes money is too good – even at the expense of trust among allies.

About the author

Brandon J. Weichert, National Interest national security analyst, former congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who contributes to The Washington Times, Asia Times and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, will be released on October 22 by Encounter Books. You can follow Weichert on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

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