Hope for Stripped Ships: Egypt's French Mistrals to Get Russian Equipment

Russia and Egyprt has reached great progress as a result of negotiatons on the delivery of radio and electronic equipment for the Mistral-class helicopter carriers obtained by the Egyptian Navy.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Serious progress has been made in talks between Russia and Egypt on the preparation and delivery of radio and electronic equipment for the Mistral-class helicopter carriers obtained by the Egyptian Navy after France canceled the deliveries to Moscow, a spokesman from Rostec’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation said Monday.

"Negotiations are continuing with Egypt on the delivery of radio-electronic equipment for the Mistral helicopter carriers. It’s already completely clear that the equipment stripped from the Mistral that was meant for the Russian Navy will not be delivered to Egypt…The possibility of preparing a different set of equipment especially for Egypt is currently under discussion," the spokesman told journalists.

He said that it was premature to talk about the results of the negotiations, but said the Egyptian side "is showing great interest."

In October 2015, Cairo and Paris signed a contract paving the way for Egypt's purchase of two Mistral helicopter carriers originally built for Russia, after France officially terminated the 1.2-billion-euro (some $1.28 billion at current exchange rates) deal with Moscow.