As it is a form of power projection: One thing not mentioned is the nuclear strike deep penetration role.
CdG would have an advantage in that field – both with SEM + ASMP (current) and F3 + ASMP-A (future).
As afaik all TLAM-N have been deactivated, that role (officially struck) would be reduced for a Nimitz CBG to F/A-18 with a B-61, correct? If they ever get em onboard again – and if a F/A-18 can even activate a CAT F PAL.
Nah, not really “plenty”. The WEU as the core military force of the EU currently has only ~100 escorts, which, with ongoing reductions will be pushed more towards ~90 by the end of the next decade (albeit of course while increasing tonnage).
About exactly the same amounts as the US Navy, or twice what the JMSDF or Russia could muster.
So it isn’t like the CO or the OOD wasn’t paying attention and drove the ship onto the sand bar.
Actually, if the pilot wasn’t in charge while onboard and during a docking operation, it would make ports worldwide become rather … reserved when dealing with any USN ships.
It was my understanding that the intermediate range nuclear forces treaty (INF) had made it difficult to deploy land-based weapons of more than 300km range.
The UK is not a partner of INF, the treaty only affects the USA and the Soviet Union.
As a practical example: Same thing for Germany – which is why Germany kept its Pershings until 1991 while the US destroyed theirs in 1987 in line with INF.
Any other suitable RFA ships could also be made available for charter under the same contract. In some cases, this might mean charter only to navies of friendly countries.
The Point-class vessels (or rather the “residual capacity” of four ships) are currently under MCCE/MSSC (Multinational Sealift Steering Committee) authority, along with about a dozen other European sealift ships.
Just keep em in there.
As for other ships, i’d suggest instead simply adding another office to MCCE Operations, equal to the Sea Transport (ST) Office. Perhaps for “seabased logistics”, to coordinate certain available resources in that regard. And perhaps add some dry cargo/container capacity to ST.
Any chances for by now established programs such as NUMC, BAM or NPO making off-the-shelf inroads there? On the basis that DCN would be relatively busy with FREMM, the two new Mistrals, the Durance replacement and Barracuda in the very same timeframe.
countries such as […] Brazil
I have this certain hunch that Brazil’s next naval fighter is gonna be the Rafale.
Sure. Although it would be more of an immediate requirement now.
Hehe.
Let’s touch a couple extra topics… has any thought been given yet officially to a renewal of the (overseas) patrol fleet? I.e. not only the Floreals, but also the P400s and three or four singular trawlers acquired for patrols in the South Seas. Pretty much the only newer class in that regard (Flamant) is stationed in the mainland French EEZ. Same question goes for the (forward-deployed) Champlains.
I know some of these (in particular the P400) are only 20 years old, but they presumably wear out relatively fast with their kind of workload overseas.
Oh, and any news on potential Durance replacements?
What for? Just give SCALP active-radar terminal guidance.
These countries will not survive for single day for full frontal assualt.
All France needs is about 12 hours.
Enough to get certain assets in position for the first and final touch of any such all-out war.
Russia has much larger real GDP than France/UK/Germany combined.
IMF 2007:
Germany $3,322,147 million (world #3)
UK $2,772,570 million (world #5)
France $2,560,255 million (world #6)
Russia $1,289,582 million (world #11)
Next. And yes, i know you’re actually talking about growth rates. Very long way to go.
Russias civil air fleet nowadays is dwarfed by W. Europe.
I’m counting offhand some 800-850 strategically-significant aircraft (high range/payload) in the russian Civil Air Fleet at the moment, with 90% of those non-convertible passenger jets. Plus some 500 tactically usable aircraft.
For comparison, including subsidiaries, if we take the fleets of just some of the bigger airlines in the EU together (Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, BA, Alitalia, Ryanair, SAS, Iberia), that would be over 2000 aircraft.
Air France-KLM alone has some 550, all French airlines combined around 650.
and they have decades of experiance on them.
Remind me when the last time was that Russian (Soviet) aircraft had to fight in any contested air environment against a hostile airforce?
And when the last time that European NATO countries did the same was? Because there’s over a decade between those. In favour of NATO.
Meh, i actually had something typed out, then my browser crashed.
Oh well, a few notes maybe, all depends on the theater and timeframe we’re talking about of course:
Last but not least the first of class and therefor the entire ship class will be called Baden-Württemberg (one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany).
And the first German ship to carry that name, with the state in existance for 55 years now.
The last commissioned ships to carry the names Baden and Württemberg were Bayern class WW1 battleships, with only Baden commissioned.