French Sell Russian-Ordered Assault Ships To Egypt

The French government has agreed in principle to a deal that would see two newly-built amphibious assault ships sold to Egypt.

The Mistral class vessels were to be bought by Russia but President Hollande stepped in to halt the sale amid growing concerns over the crisis in Ukraine.

Western leaders had argued that Moscow's acquisition of the warships would undermine attempts to curtail Russian aggression.

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Brokering the original deal the then French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed it as evidence that the Cold War was over.

In July last year 400 Russian sailors arrived in France to begin training on the first ship, named Vladivostok ahead of her anticipated delivery in October 2014.

The second ship - the Sevastopol, named after the Crimean port - was due to be delivered in 2015.

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Just six weeks after France agreed to pay £700 million to reimburse Russia, the Egyptian President Adbel Fattah El-Sisi and French President Francois Hollande "have agreed on the principle and terms and conditions of Egypt's acquisition of the two Mistral-class vessels."

Currently languishing in the port of Saint-Nazaire the ships can each carry 16 helicopters, 4 landing craft and 700 troops.

It's France's second massive arms sale to Egypt this year with the Middle Eastern country already ordering 24 Rafale fighter jets.

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