NEWTOWN, Conn. - The second Mistral class amphibious assault ship for the Russian Navy will join the Black Sea Fleet two years later than expected.
On May 18, an unnamed military official said, "The Sevastopol helicopter carrier will join the Black Sea Fleet not sooner than 2017 and will be based in Novorossiysk. Spetsstroy is supposed to prepare all the necessary infrastructure for it at the port to be based there by this time. In addition, a simulator is supposed to be built in Yeisk for helicopter crews to be based on this ship to receive training there."
The two Mistral class ships, the Vladivostok and the Sevastopol, were originally slated to join the Russian Navy upon their completion in France in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Under a contract signed in June 2011, France is building two Mistral-class vessels for Russia. Russia's Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg will build 24 sections, or about 40 percent of the hull components for the first two vessels. The parts will then be delivered to France for final assembly. Under a separate contract, Russia plans to build another two vessels in the class through the technology transfer portion of the first contract.
