The French Marine Nationale aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) transits the Red Sea, April 15, 2019. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Joshua L. Leonard)
David Axe, National Interest: What If Germany Build a European Union Aircraft Carrier?
A good idea or a fool's errand?
Key point: The EU has long dreamed of having a unified military, along with common weapons systems and ships.
A German politician has floated the idea of a European aircraft carrier.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who in 2018 succeeded German chancellor Angela Merkel as the head of Merkel’s governing Christian Democratic Union party, proposed the Euro-carrier in the summer of 2019.
Kramp-Karrenbauer’s proposal came in response to French president Emmanuel Macron’s call for greater European integration.
Merkel herself in early 2019 endorsed the idea. “It’s right and good that we have such equipment on the European side, and I’m happy to work on it.”
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WNU Editor: This plan is not realistic. Aside from the billions needed to build a new aircraft carrier, there are billions more needed to build escort ships, fighter jets, etc., and billions more to maintain this carrier strike force annually. European governments are reluctant to spend money on their military right now, and I certainly do not see the political will in Europe to spend it on a new program like this one.
France has a good reputation for building military ships and subs, im sure they can easily make a carrier. Then again people are still protesting the leadership.
ReplyDeleteCroissants?
ReplyDeleteFrance built a couple very good amphib type ships a few years back - and then tried to sell them to Russia. IIRC Egypt has them now.
ReplyDeleteIf Germany has anything to do with it, it will be armed with balsa wood planes and broomsticks for guns!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11420627/German-army-used-broomsticks-instead-of-guns-during-training.html