There’s an interesting post over at RCW’s Compass blog on the new memorandum of understanding signed between the French defense giant Thales and the Russian state arms exporter Rosonboronexport to jointly manufacture and sell arms to third parties, beginning with a focus on naval applications.

It should be noted that an international industrial group Thales is one
of the world’s leading manufacturers of defense products. In 2008,
according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the
company delivered its products to customers in the amount of more than
$9.3 billion, taking tenth place among other top defense corporations
in sales volume. Memo to Pentagon: Thales also actively participates in
supplying technology and products to NATO countries, so how exactly
will its cooperation with Moscow affect French military relationship
with Washington? Especially given how much Russia and US compete on the
global arms market? Anyone?

Yevgeny Bendersky goes on to note that it is possible that the French could help the Russians rescue a long dormant project to build the “Belgorod” – by far the largest submarine in the world.

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