| Submit your comments on this article |
| Europe |
| French Navy Loses (multi-million-dollar sonar) |
| 2006-04-19 |
| so what else is new? Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie confirmed a report in the satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine, and said an investigation had been launched into how the three-million-euro (3.7-million-dollars) device was mislaid. "An inquiry is underway to determine whether a technical or a human error is at the origin of this problem," she told reporters. Le Canard Enchaine reported that the captain of the De Grasse frigate, decided against his lieutenants' advice to try out the 10-tonne sonar in rough seas, during an exercise in the southwestern Gulf of Gascony on March 24. The top-of-the-range device -- one of the most sophisticated in the world, capable of detecting an enemy submarine at a distance of 150 kilometres (90 miles) -- was part of a 50-million-dollar underwater combat system. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #13 The Brit Admiral at Yorktown wasn't a moron, just outmatched in terms of guns and types of ships - his was a Supply/Logistics fleet, the French were a War/Battle/Blockade Fleet. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-04-19 23:20 |
| #12 a Toad array you say? Well it is French after all. |
| Posted by: SPoD 2006-04-19 22:33 |
| #11 Mislaid, as in forgotten laptops that show up in terrorists' hands? Iran would love to have this sophisticated sonar and cargo exchanges at sea are even recorded in ancient accounts of merchant traders. |
| Posted by: Danielle 2006-04-19 19:18 |
| #10 I also thank our lucky stars that the British admiral was a moron and the French admiral had some guts. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-04-19 18:53 |
| #9 Battle of the Capes the United States can thank their lucky stars that the French Navy was in peak form, perhaps not seen before and not seen again until 1914 when they relieved the British from Med duty. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-19 17:32 |
| #8 That's the Battle of the Chesapeake, key to the victory at Yorktown. I think before that you have to go back to LaRochelle in 1400+-. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-19 16:09 |
| #7 Is that when the bath tub was invented? |
| Posted by: Infidel Bob 2006-04-19 14:50 |
| #6 Maintaining a tradition of 225 years. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-19 14:49 |
| #5 The French have a navy? |
| Posted by: Infidel Bob 2006-04-19 14:49 |
| #4 You have a better chance of snagging it using tri-hooks and 40 lb. test line. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-04-19 14:29 |
| #3 ;> |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2006-04-19 14:25 |
| #2 I've always wanted a towed array for my brim boat. I'll keep an eye open for it. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-19 14:21 |
| #1 "French Navy Loses" What, |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-04-19 14:03 |