Is This How We Start Assimilating the French Navy, too? (kidding!)

France is sending 350 sailors and naval aviators to deploy with a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier this spring as their nuclear-powered carrier finishes scheduled maintenance, French officials told USNI News.

The April to May deployment will occur just before France’s aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) is expected to complete a major maintenance period which started in 2015. The aircrews will do carrier qualifications aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), but the intent is to accomplish more than qualifications or cross-deck operations, Capt. Jean-Emmanuel Roux de Luze, French Naval Attaché to the U.S. told USNI News.

“We want to demonstrate our ability to integrate with U.S. military services,” Roux de Luze said. “We want to show we do maintenance, demonstrate we can load weapons.”

French Navy Dassault Rafale M fighters and Northop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye aircraft will at first fly with U.S. airwings out of Naval Air Station Oceana, in Virginia Beach. French sailors will work with their U.S. counterparts maintaining the aircraft, Rouz de Luze said. The unspecified French forces will then board Bush and operate as part of the air wing.

news.usni.org...

I'd love to be able to be on the deck and see Rhinos and Rafales launching off the deck of the Bush. I mean, geez. What a weird and cool mix.

Now if we could just get some F-35s there too...what a photo op!

The French Officer goes on to state the US Navy doesn't need help from the French, but learning to work together and to work in coalitions is a good thing. This would also mean if there is ever a war and the French carrier is knocked out, the French naval aviators could stay in the fight aboard an American carrier. With the USMC working up on the Lizzie, that ought bridge most. The Brits also worked up on the Wasps and America, right? The Japanese are wanting to refuel USMC F-35Bs on the Izumo whether or not they buy the jumpjets themselves. I suspect the Koreans might take that step first too. (Pity about the Aussies though) Something to consider...Mother Russia.

In the more near term, it would also mean the French get qualled faster and get the de Gaulle back in action even faster.

That was the purpose of NATO..Be a Universal Policing Force...A good way of taking the pressure off US assets.