25 May 2017 17:45

Construction of new helicopter carrier for Russian Defense Ministry to take at least 4 years - defense minister

MOSCOW. May 25 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry expects to receive a helicopter carrier under a new armament program, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said.

"We are planning [this]," Borisov told journalists at the Helirussia 2017 exhibition in Moscow on Thursday.

Building such a ship will take at least four years, and it could enter service by 2022, Borisov said.

He declined to answer whether the helicopter carrier would be similar to the Mistrals sold to Egypt.