State testing of Ka-52K attack helicopters for Mistral helicopter carriers will be competed in 2015, head of Russian delegation, Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), Anatoly Punchuk, told RIA Novosti.

FSMTC believes that the first Mistral will be delivered to Russian navy this year. After that it will be ferried to St. Petersburg-based Severnaya Verf (stands for Northern Shipyard) plant in order to fit the vessel with Russian weapons. This work should be completed in mid-2015.

“This project is being implemented. In accordance with the schedule, the state testing of Ka-52K helicopter must be completed in 2015”,- Punchuk said at Euronaval 2014 exhibition held in Paris.

According to him, four Ka-52K prototypes are under construction. “These attack helicopters will be based on Mistral helicopter carriers”,- the head of Russian delegation explained.

The contract for delivery of two Mistral helicopter carriers was signed by DCNS (France) and Rosoboronexport in 2011. The value of this contract is €1,2 billion.

USA is against deliveries of Mistrals to Russia and France threatened to terminate the contract many times under US pressure. However, experts believe that termination of this contract will not cause significant negative consequences for Russian Federation: France will have to pay a significant cancellation fee and Russia will be able to develop and manufacture its own analogue of Mistral.