"This sale threatens to shake the NATO alliance to its core, bolstering Russia's offensive military capabilities as it intensifies its campaign of intimidation against neighboring countries," said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Writing in The Hill, a newspaper focused on the US Congress, the Florida lawmaker urged her colleagues to back a non-binding resolution she authored declaring "unequivocal opposition" to the transaction.

"By going through with its proposed sale of Mistral ships to Russia, France risks causing irreparable damage to the NATO alliance and the trans-Atlantic relationship," she wrote.

"Empowering Russia with such capabilities blatantly undermines the security of those NATO allies that are withstanding Russia's policies of intimidation and outright aggression," she said.

France announced in March that it had entered into "exclusive" talks with Russia on the sale of the four Mistral-class amphibious assault ships, capable of carrying up to 16 helicopters and a 750-strong landing force.

If the deal goes through, it would be the first sale of advanced military technology by a NATO country to Russia.

France has argued that Russia must be treated like a partner and not a threat in Europe, but it has been unable to alleviate deep misgivings from the Baltic countries, Georgia and also the United States over the sale.

Concerns were heightened in December, when a Russian naval commander said a Mistral would have been useful in August 2008 when Russian forces were battling Georgia's military.

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