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From: bureau@math.arizona.edu (Pierre Bureau)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: French Carriers
Message-ID: <1991Apr22.071834.25138@amd.com>
Date: 20 Apr 91 10:58:22 GMT
Sender: military@amd.com
Organization: Dept. of Math., Univ. of Arizona, Tucson AZ 85721
Lines: 47
Approved: military@amd.com


From: bureau@math.arizona.edu (Pierre Bureau)


>From: wcsswag@ccs.carleton.ca (Alex Klaus)
>Some quick quesions about the new French nuclear carriers?
>Is the deGaulle proceding on schedule, will it be commissioned on time?

Yes, it is. Should be completed and commissioned in 1999 
(but this is already 4 years later than the initial 1984 schedule.)

According to an article recently published in the french news magazin
"EXPRESS", provisions for a second carrier have been deposed and
parliement sould vote next year for the construction of that 2nd CV.
Both will be 50,000 t.

>What will the air wing consist of? Will they still fly Super Etendards,
>and Crusaders of them? Will they still fly the Alize or will they be replaced?

The air wing should include at least 35 "Navy" version of the Rafale
advance fighter. There's a debate on wheter buying 2 or only one wing
for both. Plane maker, Dassault is lobbying for the French Navy to
order 80 planes.

There's been quite a controversy on the "Navy" Rafale.  The French Navy
had been looking forward to replace their obsolete crusaders since the
early 80s. The french admirals were interested in buying F-18 and even
starting a joint venture through Dassault and Aerospatiale to develop
special avionics for the F18.

After Dassault's failure to get the bulk of the contract for the
european advanced fighter (around 86), Dassault and the top french air
force generals lobbied in order to have the Navy to adopt the Rafale as
their fighter [evocating the need of a numerous series to cut costs].

The navy admirals opposed this scheme, since the Rafale wont be ready
before 1996 at the soonest. They intended to get F-18 for 1990 but
Dassault's lobby won the decision.

Until 96 the french navy will be using ageing crusaders (BTW Dassault
also won a $300 millions to retrofit the F8 w/ new avionics) that need
30 hours maintenance for 1 light hour...  Besides, there aint that many
remaining crusaders, bought in 84.  A french commission recently came
to DM-AFB in Tucson to get the last remaining crusaders that had been
stored there for 14 years.

Pierre