The first Mistral-class helicopter carrier will be delivered to the Russian Navy on November 1, 2014, Ria Novosti reported on Friday.
The carrier, named Vladivostok, is an amphibious assault ship of the French Mistral class currently under construction for the Russian Navy.
Saint-Nazaire-based DCNS is going to float out the carrier on October 15th, after which the ship will be further equipped and head for sea trials over the next year, according to a defense industry official cited by Ria Novosti.
The Russian government placed an order for two ships of Mistral-class in 2011, worth up to USD 1.6 billion.
The Russian acquisition of French Mistral class amphibious assault ships is considered to be the largest defense deal between Russia and the West since the World War II.
[mappress] Press Release, October 09, 2013