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| Afghanistan | |
| French Carrier To Support Afghanistan Operations | |
| 2006-04-11 | |
April 11, 2006: France is sending its nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the coast of Pakistan. There, the carrier will sent its twenty warplanes to bases in Afghanistan, to support NATO peacekeeping efforts. The de Gaulle will arrive off Pakistan in May, 2006.
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| Posted by:Steve |
| #29 That would be the carrier Charles de Gaulle and it's flotilla of tugboats? |
| Posted by: DMDF 2006-04-11 22:24 |
| #28 #11: At least back before the invention of airborne refueling. Ummm, no. Jets were not invented yet, piston engined planes could not make the distance, they were much slower then. Travel time was too long. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2006-04-11 20:09 |
| #27 Danking70 And for all you environmental activists out there, the sinking will allow for a brand new reef to develop for mutant fish. Isn't that wonderful? Thats what the invention of diversity is for. |
| Posted by: RD 2006-04-11 19:31 |
| #26 The French will probably sacrifice the de Gaulle during the attack on Iran. This way they won't have to worry about the decommissioning costs and asbestos removal. And for all you environmental activists out there, the sinking will allow for a brand new reef to develop for mutant fish. Isn't that wonderful? |
| Posted by: Danking70 2006-04-11 17:58 |
| #25 Is it really for Afghanistan or in place for an operation to protect the straits of Hormuz? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-04-11 17:38 |
| #24 DB's got it: Let the Somali pirates grab it and you save the asbestos/hazmat removal costs |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-04-11 17:03 |
| #23 "French Carrier To Support Afghanistan Operations" Is this Scrappleface again? |
| Posted by: Scott R 2006-04-11 16:42 |
| #22 [Captain of the Charles de Gaulle addressing his crew] Greetings, Crew of the Charles de Gaulle. It's great to be out of drydock. The sun is shining down on us. Everyone and everything is looking good. Well, we've seen Toulon, for too long, so now it's the Indian Ocean for us. Be careful and get your sea legs during the first days of the voyage. Drydock is nothing like the open sea, you know. We will be the keystone in the big picture of fighting radical terrorists. Everybody show what the French Navy can do. [aside] Little nuclear reactor and boiler, don't fail me now! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-04-11 16:14 |
| #21 But they'll take credit for it -- IF it's a success. Or is it that they'll denounce it while quietly celebrating? One or the other .... |
| Posted by: anon 2006-04-11 15:46 |
| #20 No. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-11 15:39 |
| #19 So will France join us in attacking Iran? |
| Posted by: Danking70 2006-04-11 15:21 |
| #18 You mean it is out of dry-dock? Not to worry though, France has a second carrier ready for deployment ... IN 2015! |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-04-11 15:19 |
| #17 #10 why would they run carrier ops, when there are bases in afghanistan, and water is pretty far from the scene of battle? See comment #2. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-11 15:15 |
| #16 Somali pirate alert!! |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2006-04-11 15:14 |
| #15 When they arrive, won't they be sitting off the coast of Iran ? |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-04-11 15:09 |
| #14 why would they run carrier ops, when there are bases in afghanistan, and water is pretty far from the scene of battle? I guese it's the little things, like getting permission to base a lot of aircraft, ammunition, and support elements, wrangling over the resulting usage fees and political costs, having refueling aircraft available, dealing with unfriendly people sitting near the airstrip with cell-phone in hand... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2006-04-11 14:40 |
| #13 When it comes time for the mid deployment emergency drydock, where are they going to do it? |
| Posted by: Penguin 2006-04-11 14:37 |
| #12 ;-) |
| Posted by: anon 2006-04-11 14:27 |
| #11 At least back before the invention of airborne refueling. |
| Posted by: Phil 2006-04-11 13:54 |
| #10 why would they run carrier ops, when there are bases in afghanistan, and water is pretty far from the scene of battle? We used carriers to ferry aircraft extensively during WW2. This is one of the things carriers are useful for, IIUC. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2006-04-11 13:52 |
| #9 It'll be closer to its future home in India. |
| Posted by: Doolittle 2006-04-11 13:40 |
| #8 Good question SSET! But it does state that it is going to support NATO, at least until they surrender. Odds are that it will turn back or get drydocked halfway there like that Russian tub a few years back that was on it's way to Serbia. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-04-11 12:27 |
| #7 Whose side are they going to be on? |
| Posted by: SSET 2006-04-11 11:55 |
| #6 The bright side being; at least it's there. |
| Posted by: Rightwing 2006-04-11 11:29 |
| #5 Note they are not even trying to run flight operations off this tub, just using her to ferry planes to the theater. factual and way cold .. .......... Maybe they'll run her onto the beech and dismantle her..IF they can get a proper Euro permit. Oh Lord stuck in PakWakiland again.. |
| Posted by: RD 2006-04-11 11:25 |
| #4 Why Mrs. D. so good to see you. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-04-11 11:19 |
| #3 The Taliban are quaking in their boots. |
| Posted by: DoDo 2006-04-11 11:00 |
| #2 This ship should be classified as an enemy elint snoop. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2006-04-11 10:58 |
| #1 ROTFL Odds it makes it all the way? |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2006-04-11 10:48 |