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| Britain |
| MoD considers sharing new aircraft carriers |
| 2003-12-03 |
| BRITAIN and France could link up to build two aircraft carriers which would be used by the armed forces of both countries to save money on defence budgets and increase the military co-operation between the two countries. Charles Heyman, the senior defence analyst for Jane’s Consultancy Group, said yesterday: "Most analysts believe that the current carrier project is going to be difficult to fit into the MoD’s long-term costing and that something is going to give. "Recent defence market gossip suggests some sort of deal with the French is being considered; possibly one new carrier each within a bilateral defence agreement whereby, in the event of an emergency, the carrier available for operations (if only one is at sea) is made available to the other nation." Under this plan Britain would build only one aircraft carrier while France would build the second. Both would be compatible with the French Dassault Rafale aircraft rather than the Joint Strike Fighter, which had been earmarked for the British carriers. The carriers could be used by the air and naval air forces of both countries. Quite a change in plans from this |
| Posted by:roger dodger |
| #11 Carl, right on! Carrier air operations are absolutely the most challenging naval maneuvers ever attempted. You can't do it piecemeal, and it takes practice, practice, practice. You can't do that with a rag-tag, half-baked, borrowed and blued naval force. It's apparent that the Brits learned NOTHING from the Falklands war. Too bad, they would make excellent allies, if it weren't for the fact that half their politicians have their heads up and locked, and the rest are still dreaming of the time when Britain was a world power. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-3 9:17:58 PM |
| #10 I'm just curious as to whether even the French can get a single aircraft carrier in this way and claim that they now have a carrier battle group (or whatever the hell the carrier military unit is called, Rantsailors please correct me). Is it even possible to pick a single carrier from over there, grab a couple of escort frigates from over here, cobble that together with some random tenders and such, and shake and bake ? I would expect that the end result would be like a 60-year-old French whore: all the ratty pieces are there, but the whole is pretty pathetic.... |
| Posted by: Carl in N.H. 2003-12-3 9:10:09 PM |
| #9 I wonder what kind of acrual shell games the French plan for their next budget. Seems more like the French get a working carrier to supplant the DeGaulle and, more important, a deep-draft club to hold over British foreign policy. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2003-12-3 7:23:19 PM |
| #8 My next month's mortgage payment says neither carrier ever sees the light of day. |
| Posted by: Michael 2003-12-3 7:11:59 PM |
| #7 The French and the Germans were let off the hook last week. No sanctions for their over-3%-of-GDP deficit spending. New Labour wanted a 1 billion pounds sterling cut in next year's budget, but the MoD chiefs talked them down to 500 million (at least that's the latest story). If you add the news from a few days ago about the 'secret' EU defense planning arrangements between Britain, France, and Germany - plus this article's suggestion that the Brits are giving some thought to dumping the JSF for Rafale (hah!)- one might get the impression that Jack Straw's strident proclamation that he's an 100% Atlanticist (and Tony Blair was 200% so) is a lot of hot air. |
| Posted by: roger dodger 2003-12-3 6:39:16 PM |
| #6 They could call the ship HMS Weasel. |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-12-3 6:01:58 PM |
| #5 Lend them a carrier? Hell let's give them a carrier. Better yet... let's built them a new carrier and finish it just about the time the JSF comes out. Need some escort? Got your 688 surplus right here. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-3 5:22:28 PM |
| #4 This looks like an accounting game to me. The French are facing sanctions due to their deficit spending. The French want to increase governemtn spending further to stimulate their moribund economy. Tony Blair agrees to call it a joint project for budget cover for Chirac. I would be that there is a player to be named later for the UK hidden in the deal. Two NFL teams could play a simular game with their taxi squads. For example, I'll carry an extra Offensive Lineman, if you agree to stock a Linebacker for the both of us. I wonder what kind of acrual shell games the French plan for their next budget. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-3 5:11:31 PM |
| #3 1)France refuses to abide by EU economic rules stemming from treaty it signed. 2)France led revolt within NATO preventing aid to go to Turkey as required by NATO treaty. Does Britain actually believe France would let UK use French carrier if France didn't approve of British policy?Bulldog,can you tell us if #10 Downing St.has recently begun importing "Hawian Produce"? |
| Posted by: Stephen 2003-12-3 4:45:25 PM |
| #2 We actually have several, but the Brits don't have any aircraft that could use them, other than the Harriers. Since the Harriers are subsonic, and since much of what they would face in a defensive role would be supersonic aircraft, they are at a distinct disadvantage. This is what happens when you continually compromise on defense issues. The decisions made by the British government in the 1950's through 1980's are now coming home to roost. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-3 4:28:58 PM |
| #1 Why would Britain want to cooperate with the French on this project? Britain would eventually get burned by the French. Do we have a carrier that we can loan the Brits? Anything but getting in bed with the French on defence issues. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-3 4:15:01 PM |