Expert assesses Russia's prospects in building helicopter carriers
Russian shipbuilders are capable of building helicopter carriers, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said. Aviation expert Viktor Pryadka, in an interview with the press, mentioned Russia's rich experience in designing and building ships with onboard aircraft.
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| Helicopter carrier Vladivostok type "Mistral"". |
Russia can build helicopter carriers and is ready to sell them to foreign customers interested in this equipment. That was the statement made by Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov in a recent interview with the press.
In August, the minister announced that instead of helicopter carriers, Russia would build a mixed landing ship, capable of carrying helicopters on board. In turn, the head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, Alexei Rakhmanov, said that the Union would build an expeditionary ship for the Navy."I suggest that no one nitpicks over the wording. The concept is very diverse and complex both in the military and in manufacturers, and must always be adapted to the requirements of the customer. Therefore, it is better to ask the main customer about this issue," Manturov said in response to a question asking for clarification.
In an interview, CEO of the "Avintel Aviation Technology Alliance" Viktor Pryadka mentioned the rich experience of domestic specialists in the construction of ships capable of carrying aircraft on board.
"In the field of helicopter carrier construction, we do not have direct experience. But taking into account the fact that we have built aircraft carriers for Yak-38 aircraft, most recently there are variants for carrying MiG-29 and Su-27 - we believe that this experience will certainly be applied, adjusting the construction of helicopter carriers. This is a very topical topic, it is necessary to pay attention to research, expand the category... In addition, the accumulated experience will help to perfect the technology not only here but also in related areas: new equipment will appear, new machines will be created. In general, all of this will have a positive impact on this direction of the industry", expert Viktor Pryadka commented.
In 2011, Russia signed a contract with France etc. to supply two helicopter carriers of the "Mistral" type.", but in 2015 due to sanctions Moscow and Paris canceled the contract. In May, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov announced that the first Russian helicopter carrier would appear in 2022.
