France is also considering a request from Moscow for three others carriers, French defence officials say.
The Mistral BPC (båtiment de projection et de commandement) ship is a 21,300t amphibious assault, command and power projection ship built by DCN in partnership with Thales and Chantiers de l'Atlantique. They can carry up to 16 heavy helicopters and one-third of a mechanised regiment and two LCAC hovercrafts or four landing crafts.
Also equipped with a sophisticated communication suite, the Mistral is suitable to act as a command vessel and can accommodate a multi-national or joint multi-service task force deployment.
An all electric warship, the Mistral is fitted with two Alstrom 7MW electric azimuth pods powered by three 16V32 and 18V200 diesel electric generators providing 20.8MW of power.
Analysts say the deal would increase Russia's capacity to launch amphibious offensives. It would be the first arms deal of its kind between Russia and a Nato member.
Although the deal has not yet been signed, French President Nicolas Sarkozy had approved the sale of one Mistral. Moscow naval officials had then asked for a further three ships, said Jacques de Lajugie of the French arms agency DGA.
Russia has reportedly been keen to buy the 980ft (299m) ship from France to modernise an ageing armoury.
The prospect that the ship could be used against Nato members or their allies has raised concerns in some parts of the alliance. A US official travelling with defence secretary Robert Gates to Paris on Monday said "we have questions" for France about the order.
Source BBC World News
and Reuters also, technical specifications from Naval-technology.com
