[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Wanderer:
Actually, the British government has just confirmed who's going to build our next carriers (mostly the French it seems ). They're going to substantially larger than the current V/STOL class, but not as large as the American carriers. I think they're also going to operate aircraft designed jointly by the US and UK, although I might have got my wires crossed.

And yes, it was the worst possible timing to scrap the large carriers a few years before we had to fight in the kind of conflict they were perfect for.

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* not a very good joke, sorry. For a better one, watch the 'What have the Romans ever done for us?' scene from Monty Python's Life Of Brian.[/QB]

Last I heard that program was dead. The ships were part of a NATO deal that had been put on hold. NATO's need no longer existed. Last I heard the strike fighter was stone dead, our navy is about to roll out a new strike fighter on its own. If England wanted to do a deal like was done on the Phantom, I have no doubt that we would. France might be another story. And when we begin to over run the French SAM’s that we have been bombing in Iraq, I think relations will cool even more. Can’t wait to hear the French explain how all the reloads got to Iraq. The carriers were originally intended to be blue water units, then they were scaled back for use in the smaller waters around Europe. I hadn’t heard anything about them in quite a while, what with defense spending being cut way back in the west. With the cooling of relations between America and some of Europe, I would think that England would begin to plan on deploying a fleet carrier of her own. The current situation indicates that the European powers feel strong enough to go their own way again. I think we all know what that leads too. History would tell us that an English Carrier would be a ship to be respected. Well trained and well fought. French carriers will come with bull’s eyes on them I guess, that’s how their fleets were fought in the Last big war. Sorry to be giving France the Jones Job, but they really rub me the wrong way. During the cold war, they weren’t full NATO participants. They reserved the right to control their troops independently of NATO. I guess they wanted to make sure that could repeat the Last war Now they want to act like they are the corner stone of the alliance. What a joke! No wonder Germany hated them so much! I recall when Europe had a little problem in their back yard. We were not really interested in going there, but we supported NATO and fulfilled our obligations. I bet we won’t have our people sitting on that powder keg much longer.

As for Korea, that is a UN problem. The south’s economy is strong enough to more than match the north’s military might. Their will to defend themselves is another thing. Both sides deserve to have the UN get right on this. Perhaps the UN will scare them into disarming with a barrage of harsh wishy washy words. Personally, I would give the south several short range nukes of their own. Then I would see if the north wanted to talk about unification and disarmament. They could make peace or kill each other off, either way it works for me. I’m tired of what it has cost to defend that sorry little piece of rock and dirt. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m not in charge around here? Probably been playing too much SE, it makes you casual about glassing planets and such. At least in SE4 it is a little harder to nuke whole systems

[ February 28, 2003, 01:41: Message edited by: Thermodyne ]