Russia could build its own helicopter carrier on a par with the French Mistral-class warship it has been considering buying, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said on Friday.
"Basically, this is common ro-ro [roll-on/roll-off] technology. We can do the same," he said.
He added that the Defense Ministry could contract the United Shipbuilding Corporation to build it.
"No decision has yet been made on the purchase of a Mistral," he said.
Asked whether he could guarantee the warships would not be used against Georgia, Putin said it was up to Russia to decide where or how to use its own weapons.
Responding to the same question, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Mistral ships "mainly perform logistic functions."
"We are currently in the final stages of negotiations with the Russian government," he said.
The Mistral ship, with a price tag of around $500 million, arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday to be shown to military personnel and the public.
A new warship could be built at the civil STX shipyard in France in partnership with the French naval shipbuilder DCNS.
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said in late September that Russia was seeking technology to boost its shipbuilding industry by buying the ship. He added that Russian shipbuilders strongly opposed the deal.
A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing barges, up to 70 vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 soldiers. The vessel is equipped with a 69-bed hospital and can be used as an amphibious command ship.
Gen. Nikolai Makarov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, said in August that Russia had plans to buy three or four ships of the same class to be jointly built in Russia.
PARIS, November 27 (RIA Novosti)
