The Guardian
02-17-2012, 12:43 PM
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Anglo-French declaration reflects need for military co-operation at time of budget cuts and shifting US attentions
They may row over the euro, compete like tigers over the sale of fighters to India, but there is one area in which Britain and France can co-operate for both political and pragmatic reasons. That is defence – where the US has made it clear that Europeans will in future have to look after themselves as Washington turns its attention to the Pacific, and China in particular.
France and Britain account for nearly half of Europe's defence spending, Friday's joint declaration on security and defence proudly points out. For decades, even through the heavy Gaullist periods, the two countries respected each other's armed forces – and no others in Europe. Severe pressure on national defence budgets have brought them closer together as last year's treaties on security co-operation made clear.
The two countries worked well together in the skies over Libya and David Cameron clearly appreciates Nicolas Sarkozy's bullish foreign policy.
But the practical significance of Friday's declaration was being played down – while it trumpets the idea of a "joint force headquarters", there is as yet no agreement where that should be based, Whitehall officials said. And the declaration made no mention of continuing commitment to Afghanistan. Sarkozy last month announced that French troops would no longer have a combat role after the end of 2013, a year earlier that the UK and US timetable.
Nevertheless, there are obvious candidates for co-operation. One is the production of unmanned drones. British and French firms have been slow to respond to the fast-growing demand for these surveillance and weapons systems.
BAE of Britain and Dassault of France – locked in battle over the sale of fighter jets to India – will now join forces to produce combat drones.
At sea, the British used to laugh at the French for only having one aircraft carrier which always seemed to be going wrong. Now, the British have none, waiting for the construction of two redesigned so that they will be equipped with a catapult and arrestor gear system similar to those adopted by the French.
Dassault's Rafale aircraft – which the Indians have say they prefer to BAE's Eurofighter/Typhoon – would be able to land on Britain's new carriers while the Royal Navy continues to wait for the promised, much-delayed and increasingly expensive, joint strike fighter.
The aim, said Friday's declaration is to have "by the early 2020s, the ability to deploy a UK-French integrated carrier strike group incorporating assets owned by both countries".
On the ground, the two countries' armies have been conducting more and more exercises. Later this year, a large French-UK exercise, Corsican Lion, will take place in the Mediterranean and involve sea, land and air forces. Britain's relationship with France is taking on a very military flavour.
Defence policy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/defence)
David Cameron (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davidcameron)
Nicolas Sarkozy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/nicolas-sarkozy)
Military (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/military)
France (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/france)
Richard Norton-Taylor (http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richardnortontaylor)
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Anglo-French declaration reflects need for military co-operation at time of budget cuts and shifting US attentions
They may row over the euro, compete like tigers over the sale of fighters to India, but there is one area in which Britain and France can co-operate for both political and pragmatic reasons. That is defence – where the US has made it clear that Europeans will in future have to look after themselves as Washington turns its attention to the Pacific, and China in particular.
France and Britain account for nearly half of Europe's defence spending, Friday's joint declaration on security and defence proudly points out. For decades, even through the heavy Gaullist periods, the two countries respected each other's armed forces – and no others in Europe. Severe pressure on national defence budgets have brought them closer together as last year's treaties on security co-operation made clear.
The two countries worked well together in the skies over Libya and David Cameron clearly appreciates Nicolas Sarkozy's bullish foreign policy.
But the practical significance of Friday's declaration was being played down – while it trumpets the idea of a "joint force headquarters", there is as yet no agreement where that should be based, Whitehall officials said. And the declaration made no mention of continuing commitment to Afghanistan. Sarkozy last month announced that French troops would no longer have a combat role after the end of 2013, a year earlier that the UK and US timetable.
Nevertheless, there are obvious candidates for co-operation. One is the production of unmanned drones. British and French firms have been slow to respond to the fast-growing demand for these surveillance and weapons systems.
BAE of Britain and Dassault of France – locked in battle over the sale of fighter jets to India – will now join forces to produce combat drones.
At sea, the British used to laugh at the French for only having one aircraft carrier which always seemed to be going wrong. Now, the British have none, waiting for the construction of two redesigned so that they will be equipped with a catapult and arrestor gear system similar to those adopted by the French.
Dassault's Rafale aircraft – which the Indians have say they prefer to BAE's Eurofighter/Typhoon – would be able to land on Britain's new carriers while the Royal Navy continues to wait for the promised, much-delayed and increasingly expensive, joint strike fighter.
The aim, said Friday's declaration is to have "by the early 2020s, the ability to deploy a UK-French integrated carrier strike group incorporating assets owned by both countries".
On the ground, the two countries' armies have been conducting more and more exercises. Later this year, a large French-UK exercise, Corsican Lion, will take place in the Mediterranean and involve sea, land and air forces. Britain's relationship with France is taking on a very military flavour.
Defence policy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/defence)
David Cameron (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/davidcameron)
Nicolas Sarkozy (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/nicolas-sarkozy)
Military (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/military)
France (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/france)
Richard Norton-Taylor (http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richardnortontaylor)
guardian.co.uk (http://www.guardian.co.uk) © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions (http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html) | More Feeds (http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds)
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