navyreco
Senior Member
Officialy, Sarkozy said he would built "PA2" during his term (the only candidate at the time in favor of building a second carrier while Chirac was ending his second term and there couldn't run was in favor of it as well. The French MoD of the time even ordered 90m catapults and other stuff for the futur "PA2").
Then the "economy crisis" came around 2008-2009 and Sarkozy said he would postpone the decision to 2011. Economic situation is not better today unfortunately, and with elections in May no decision will be made now.
On the "+" side, with both the long refit of CdeG a couple years ago and the intervention in Libya, French MoD and "some" politics went public to argue a 2nd carrier is a must to project power and keep playing a "role" in foreign politics.
On the "-" side, a socialist candidate is likely to win the coming election (his name is Hollande) and while I would say he is the less "worst" of the socialist candidates (*) he already said there will be a new audit/white book for Defense to see what gets priority and what will be cut (**) because every department needs some "cuts" because of the deficit.
(*) Indeed, some of the other left wing candidate had/have frightening ideas such as stopping the nuclear deterrence, stopping the traditional Bastille day military parade (14th July, France national day) because it is "war mongering", or even stepping down the permanent security council because every nation on earth should be on the same level... At least that Hollande candidate wants to "keep everything as is".
(**)I really doubt that CVF FR or PA2 will be ordered if he wins because it will not be considered a priority. The priority for the navy is to build all the FREMM, 11 of them. That's the capacity minimum. Same goes for the 6 new SSN (Barracuda class) 6 is the capacity minimum in order to escort SSBNs, the CVN and conduct French Navy mission. If you go below those numbers there will be capacity gap.
The priority will probably go to the land forces because their equipment is starting to get old and they really need a large number of new APCs and Recon vehicles while both Air Force and Navy are getting new kit as we speak (Rafale, A400M for Air Force, FREMM, SSNs, LHD being built or delivered for the Navy)
As for Sarkozy if he wins, who knows? He already "promized" to built one and didn't deliver in the end.
"Some" believe it may still be done if Brazil orders a carrier design from DCNS and this design is ordered by France ("some" being people at DCNS).
Others think UK could sell one of the CVF to France if it is cheap enough.
Personally I don't think any of these scenario are likely.
On a side note the French MoD announced on Saturday that a 4th Mistral class will be ordered around 2015... but they will eventually replace all the LPD (plus Jeanne D'arc helicopter carrier that retired last year)
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