France to Help Russia Design Submarines?

France's semi-private naval design & construction firm DCNS has signed a "purchase general contract" for R&D cooperation with Russia's the Krylov Shipbuilding Research Institute, via Rosoboronexport. It is an amplification of the Letter of Intent the two companies signed during the 2006 Paris Euronaval exhibition.

Work is expected to include "technical relationships for hydrodynamic studies and experimentations… for surface ships as much as for submarines is within the R&D scope of the general contract." DCNS release.