A suggestion that another navy should have bought the Mistral-class ships withheld from Russia leads to a broader procurement lesson. The discounted ships were a strong bargain, and their acquisition materially raised the Egyptian Navy's status. Earlier reluctance to buy them rested partly on an assumption after Russia's 2014 invasion of Ukraine that Moscow would learn from the episode and not repeat the aggression. That outlook reflects a lingering 'war of choice' mindset, in which major states were expected to fight only when they chose rather than have war forced upon them. Threat assumptions can make useful force purchases appear unnecessary until the strategic environment changes.
Notable Point · 3:52:55-3:55:05
Mistral sales and the fading 'war of choice' assumption
The cancelled Russian Mistral sale and Egypt's purchase become a lesson in how post-2014 threat assumptions shaped naval procurement.