Albion
09-04-2010, 10:48 AM
Britain and France have ruled out sharing aircraft carriers, but may pool resources including the A400M military transport plane, in order to save money.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01682/farn6a400m_1682068c.jpg
The sharing of the A400M is likely to mean joint maintenance and support, rather than Britain and France cutting the number of planes they have ordered
"I think it is unrealistic to share an aircraft carrier but, in other areas like tactical lift we can see what we can do," Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, said at a meeting in Paris with his French counterpart Herve Morin. "I can't deny that there is an element of urgency added by budget concerns."
Mr Fox said France and the US are Britain's "two natural partners."
"Tankers, A400s, naval units but just to be clear not aircraft carriers, are areas where we can work towards pooling," said Mr Morin. He said France is "following the pace of the British" in the talks about equipment sharing, because of the UK's "serious budget issues."
Reports earlier this week that claimed Britain and France would announce plans to share aircraft carriers at a summit in November, as part of the Government's spending cuts.
The Ministry of Defence is facing budget cuts of up to 20pc over the next five years, according to some analysts, and the department is already grappling with a £37bn shortfall on programmes it has signed up to.
The results of the strategic defence and security review are expected around the same time as the cross-Government comprehensive spending review, which will be published on October 20. The defence industry is very concerned that the review is being led by budget concerns rather than military need.
The sharing of the A400M is likely to mean joint maintenance and support, rather than Britain and France cutting the number of planes they have ordered.
Read full story... (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/7980904/UK-and-France-wont-share-aircraft-carriers-says-Defence-Secretary-Liam-Fox.html)
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01682/farn6a400m_1682068c.jpg
The sharing of the A400M is likely to mean joint maintenance and support, rather than Britain and France cutting the number of planes they have ordered
"I think it is unrealistic to share an aircraft carrier but, in other areas like tactical lift we can see what we can do," Liam Fox, the Defence Secretary, said at a meeting in Paris with his French counterpart Herve Morin. "I can't deny that there is an element of urgency added by budget concerns."
Mr Fox said France and the US are Britain's "two natural partners."
"Tankers, A400s, naval units but just to be clear not aircraft carriers, are areas where we can work towards pooling," said Mr Morin. He said France is "following the pace of the British" in the talks about equipment sharing, because of the UK's "serious budget issues."
Reports earlier this week that claimed Britain and France would announce plans to share aircraft carriers at a summit in November, as part of the Government's spending cuts.
The Ministry of Defence is facing budget cuts of up to 20pc over the next five years, according to some analysts, and the department is already grappling with a £37bn shortfall on programmes it has signed up to.
The results of the strategic defence and security review are expected around the same time as the cross-Government comprehensive spending review, which will be published on October 20. The defence industry is very concerned that the review is being led by budget concerns rather than military need.
The sharing of the A400M is likely to mean joint maintenance and support, rather than Britain and France cutting the number of planes they have ordered.
Read full story... (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/defence/7980904/UK-and-France-wont-share-aircraft-carriers-says-Defence-Secretary-Liam-Fox.html)