Vanessa (and Keith) –The aircraft carriers have been planned as a joint Anglo-French project since 1996.It started under John Major in 1996 via the UK/France Letter of Intent “on co-operation and areas of mutual interest in maritime defence”. It was extended in 1998 under Blair at St. Malo, then again in 1999, 2000 and 2006. Cameron extended it yet again in November 2010 at the “UKFrance Summit Declaration on Defence and Security Co-operation”.In effect, Britain and France are fronting the naval capability of the EU ‘European Rapid Reaction Force’, which Blair agreed to at Helsinki in 1999. As such, British forces have been stripped of capability so that they can no longer operate independently – they have to operate with other EU militaries. Hence extra money being spent retro-fitting one active carrier so that it can accommodate French planes.We are therefore left with an Anglo-French built carrier, manned by British sailors and French pilots, likely requiring additional air support from the Dutch, Spanish and Italians.Thus, for an outlay of about £7 billion, we’re paying £2 billion more than the cost of the bigger, better American USS Gerald Ford nuclear aircraft carrier.*Makes you wonder what’ll happen when it kicks off in the Falklands again.*You’ll also be pleased to know that, round about the time the British government pledged a further £1.3 billion in aid to India, the Indian military signed a deal with the Russians for 12 MiG-29Ks and four MiG-29KUBs. These planes are part of the Indian navy’s £1 billion deal to purchase the Russian Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier.Thus, your taxes have helped India acquire a military capability Britain no longer has.
Fraser Pearce ● 5048d