Article

2007-03-22 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

The French nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle and its task force enter Arabian Sea

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Posted by Anonymoose 2007-03-22 16:05|| || Front Page|| [7 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Is there any confirmation from any other source besides DEBKA? DEBKA rates right up there with Weekly World News as a news source.

Posted by crosspatch 2007-03-22 16:16|| 2007-03-22 16:16|| Front Page Top

#2 I found a source. The US Navy

Posted by crosspatch 2007-03-22 16:19|| 2007-03-22 16:19|| Front Page Top

#3 I believe the Stennis is there.

Posted by crosspatch 2007-03-22 16:21|| 2007-03-22 16:21|| Front Page Top

#4 And now that I think about it a bit more ... maybe there is a different reason why Russian nuclear technicians have been hightailing it out of Iran recently.

Posted by crosspatch 2007-03-22 16:24|| 2007-03-22 16:24|| Front Page Top

#5 Hmmm.

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2007-03-22 16:32|| 2007-03-22 16:32|| Front Page Top

#6 What are they, lost?

Posted by tu3031 2007-03-22 16:34|| 2007-03-22 16:34|| Front Page Top

#7 Cripes, now we're going to have to fight the French as well as the Iranians?

Posted by SteveS 2007-03-22 16:37|| 2007-03-22 16:37|| Front Page Top

#8 Who will we fight after lunch ?

Posted by wxjames 2007-03-22 16:41|| 2007-03-22 16:41|| Front Page Top

#9 The Boxer is not a carrier, she's an LHD, though the reporter is clueless as to the difference.

Yeah. Everybody knows CVs are named for Presidents and LHDs for senators.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-03-22 17:09|| 2007-03-22 17:09|| Front Page Top

#10 Rafale fighter-bombers on the French carriers decks will fly missions over Afghanistan alongside US warplanes.

Which means aerial re-fueling. Who's paying the bill?

Posted by mrp 2007-03-22 17:26|| 2007-03-22 17:26|| Front Page Top

#11 How many tugs did it take to get their carrier there?

Posted by OldSpook 2007-03-22 17:30|| 2007-03-22 17:30|| Front Page Top

#12 From what I heard both the Stennis and the Ike are in the Gulf or nearby.

Posted by OldSpook 2007-03-22 17:31|| 2007-03-22 17:31|| Front Page Top

#13 The Iranian Navy responded to the new arrival the following day by announcing a new series of military exercise in the Persian Gulf.

Should we back off a bit and give them room to play? :-)

Posted by gorb 2007-03-22 17:53|| 2007-03-22 17:53|| Front Page Top

#14 Um...it's my understanding that there's a buttload of territory between the Arabian Sea and Afghanistan.

I do believe that includes Iran.

Thus, having Phreunch aircraft operating from the CdG from the Arabian Sea seems a wee bit "optimistic" if anyone wants to ask me (not that anyone does).

In addition, does anyone really expect the Phreunch to actually run actual combat missions anywhere off their precious carrier or anything else?

I don't.

Certainly not in support of US operations.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-03-22 18:38|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2007-03-22 18:38|| Front Page Top

#15 With this press release the CdG has made its greatest possible contribution to the war effort.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-03-22 18:47|| 2007-03-22 18:47|| Front Page Top

#16 As I understand, STENNIS, EISENHOWER and BOXER are in the neighborhood with their usual cohort of friends and companions. According to their webpages, REAGAN is over by Korea and ENTERPRISE got underway from Norfolk the other day.

My question is what are the French doing there? After 50 some years of charming Gallic intransigence and their weasely attempts to provide a 'counterweight' for anything we do, the suggestion that they are there to help is simply beyond belief. The idea that Chirac wants to make nice is equally laughable.

The only two possibilities I can think of are
a) they are going to attempt to interfere with whatever we plan
2) they are afraid they may be cut out of the spoils.

Posted by SteveS 2007-03-22 19:03|| 2007-03-22 19:03|| Front Page Top

#17 SteveS, I believe you may have a point or two.

There's a third alternative, however, I believe, in that they may be there to insure their "business interests" are not damaged.

The phrase "Go ahead, make my day..." has a whole lot of implication here.

I'm not altogether certain the French have the balls (excuse me, ladies) to go up against the USN, but I'd bet my left nut (again, excuse me ladies) that they have the gall to attempt to bluff at it believing the Dems will somehow pull their asses out of the fire when the time to shoot really comes.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-03-22 19:16|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2007-03-22 19:16|| Front Page Top

#18 Did they bring a tow ship, too?

Posted by Jackal">Jackal 2007-03-22 19:49|| http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2007-03-22 19:49|| Front Page Top

#19 Did they bring a tow ship, too?

If they cross us, they won't need one.

Posted by Crusader 2007-03-22 19:58|| 2007-03-22 19:58|| Front Page Top

#20 French are there as a decoy. Those Chinese missles Iran has will hit them since they have crappy ECM.

Good insurance for our carriers, Thanks France!

Posted by OldSpook 2007-03-22 22:23|| 2007-03-22 22:23|| Front Page Top

#21 We're going to threaten Iran w/radiation leakage?

Posted by anonymous2u 2007-03-22 22:38|| 2007-03-22 22:38|| Front Page Top

#22 CdG is going to Afghanistan. Rafale Goes to Afghanistan On A Marketing Mission
March 21, 2007: France is trying to get its new jet fighter, the Rafale, some combat experience. So six are being sent to Afghanistan. Three French Air Force Rafale F2s were sent to a base in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. From there, the Rafales can fly down to Kabul, and make themselves useful. Three navy Rafale F2s arrived on the carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is operating off the Pakistani coast.

Unfortunately, Rafale still can't use its 30mm cannon for strafing ground targets, until a vibration problem is cleared up. The Rafale has not yet been fitted with a laser designator, so that function will have to be provided by Mirage 2000Ds, which are also based in Tajikistan.

Posted by ed 2007-03-22 22:39|| 2007-03-22 22:39|| Front Page Top

#23 SIX?

My local Air Guard unit has more than that!

Posted by OldSpook 2007-03-22 22:52|| 2007-03-22 22:52|| Front Page Top

#24 When the going gets tough, the French will demonstrate the deadly "shrug" maneuver and then go home.

Posted by WTF 2007-03-22 23:24|| 2007-03-22 23:24|| Front Page Top

#25 Yeah. Everybody knows CVs are named for Presidents and LHDs for senators

Hee hee hee

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-03-22 23:38|| 2007-03-22 23:38|| Front Page Top

#26 and garbage scows for Democratic Reps?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-03-22 23:41|| 2007-03-22 23:41|| Front Page Top

23:48 USN, ret.
23:45 JosephMendiola
23:43 JosephMendiola
23:42 USN, ret.
23:41 Frank G
23:40 Frank G
23:38 Shipman
23:34 49 Pan
23:24 WTF
23:16 SteveS
23:03 3dc
23:00 Jackal
22:59 OldSpook
22:57 ed
22:56 OldSpook
22:53 trailing wife
22:53 Jackal
22:52 3dc
22:52 OldSpook
22:50 OldSpook
22:46 OldSpook
22:43 OldSpook
22:42 OldSpook
22:42 Zhang Fei