Mistrals!
By 
A few thoughts on the apparent sale of the Mistrals to Egypt:
Reports earlier this week indicated that France had lined up a deal to sell the two amphibious assault ships to the Egyptian government. Rumors suggest that Gulf states, and in particular the United Arab Emirates, helped finance the deal. Assuming that the ships remain in Egypt and aren’t flipped to Russia (or another destination) in the next few years, the sale has a few implications for maritime affairs in East Asia.