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I feel like lighting up a cigarette after reading this one.

"It's been downhill ever since. So the plan is to buy into the new British carrier building program and keep the "de Gaulle" in port and out of trouble as much as possible. The British have a lot more experience building carriers, and if there are any problems with the British designed ship, one can blame the British."

Can you say, 'IRONY'? SHEEEEEEEEEESH!!!! General de Gaulle fled to Britain after the Battle of France was lost. The Britts saved the man, de Gaulle, then, why shouldn't we expect them to save the ship, de Gualle, now?

de Gaulle: "Je suise France"

The P3 Orion story is more interesting, than a frog ship that won't float, something the frogs ships have been good at since the 1790's

Maybe the French should hire some Americans to fix the dang thing? The real problem is they forgot to requisition a white flag to run up the mast. As soon as they realize their mistake and correct it the ship will run just fine in the secure knowledge it will never have to suffer the indignities of combat.

What's the German word for gloating at others' misfortune?

A related thread about the Frenchy carrier: French Has No Seaworthy AirCraft Carriers

Bwahahahahahahaha.....sorry, that wasn't kind. He He. :)

Red

You can bet your boots it will really scoot in reverse though.

Rather than making a carrier that works, the French would rather tell us how to use ours. This is the strategic position now being adopted by Senator Kerry: rather than have America win the War on Terror, he would prefer if we let the French tell us how to lose it. Assume the French position, America, the Democrats will show you how.

"Flaws in the "de Gaulle" have led it to using the propellers from it predecessor, the "Foch," because the ones built for "de Gaulle" never worked right. "

Quite the understatement. The propellers broke on the initial seatrial. The French propeller mamufacturer was accused of corruption/payback. The night before the pre-announced raid on the factory the building and all it's records burned.

The replacement propellers were built in the USA, but to their design which is suspect....

Flaws in the "de Gaulle" have led it to using the propellers from it predecessor, the "Foch,"

Is that why the carrier is all "Foch'd" up?

Flaws in the "de Gaulle" have led it to using the propellers from it predecessor, the "Foch," because the ones built for "de Gaulle" never worked right.

What, the ones built for the de Gaulle wouldn't go into reverse?

I wonder if the Indians will have similar problems with the Russian carrier they just bought. Don't know if it is nuclear, so maybe not.

I wonder how many planes they lost before they realized that that CVs need arresting gear...

Ping.

Seems like the perfect place to post W's Speech at the Christening of the USS Ronald Wilson Reagan:

Thank you all. Thank you very much. Mr. Secretary, thank you for those kind words. I picked the right man to be the Secretary of Defense at this time in history.

Mrs. Reagan, it is an honor to be with you. Reagan family members, friends of the great President, Laura and I are honored to be here.

We join with the Governor and Senator of this state in asking for God's blessings on those who lost their lives yesterday, and for their families.

Bill, thank you very much for your hospitality. Secretary Powell and Secretary Abraham, Leader Lott, Chairman Warner — I can't tell if you're trying to retire me early — (laughter) — or influence my behavior. (Laughter.)

Senator Allen, Governor Gilmore, Representative Scott and members of Congress, Justice Kennedy, Admiral Clark, welcome. But most of all, I want to welcome the men and women of the United States Navy, including the officers and crew who will soon be on the Ronald Reagan. (Applause.)

Looking at the bow of this great ship, we think of those who will sail it, and of those who built it, and to this ship, six years in the making, we have put the finest of American workmanship. On board this ship we'll put the finest sailors in the world. And upon this ship we have put the finest of American names.

Forty-nine years ago, another outstanding American took that name herself. Mrs. Reagan, I know today is your 49th anniversary, wedding anniversary. Since your wedding day, you've seen the name Reagan written large in many places, from theater marquees to the archways of great buildings. But there is something especially fitting in the place it holds today, on the newest ship, in the greatest Navy in the world. (Applause.)

When we send her off to sea, it is certain that the Ronald Reagan will meet with rough waters, as well as smooth, and headwinds as well as fair. But she will sail tall and strong, like the man we have known.

A man can not be strong forever, but if he is very fortunate, life will send him a partner to be strong when he is not. In a life of honors, Ronald Reagan has always valued one honor above all, the love of Nancy. It is a love that believes all, hopes all, and endures all. Mrs. Reagan, anyone who has seen you together knows how much you mean to him. I want you to know how much your care and love for him means to America. (Applause.)

It was said of a great architect centuries ago, if you want to seek his monument, look around you. That is true of Ronald Reagan. We live in a world shaped in so many ways by his will and heart. As President, Ronald Reagan believed without question that tyranny is temporary, and the hope of freedom is universal and permanent; that our nation has a unique goodness, and must remain uniquely strong; that God takes the side of justice, because all our rights are His own gifts.

The strength of these beliefs gave strength to our allies and hope to political prisoners, and courage to average citizens in oppressed nations, and leadership to our military and to our country.

Some achievements fade with the years. Ronald Reagan's achievements grow larger with the passing of time. He had a profound vision of America's role in the world as one of peace through strength. And because of Ronald Reagan, the world saw America as a strong and peaceful nation.

Today's world is different from the one he faced and changed. We are no longer divided into armed camps, locked in a careful balance of terror. Yet, freedom still has enemies. Our present dangers are less concentrated and more varied. They come from rogue nations, from terrorism, from missiles that threaten our forces, our friends, our allies and our homeland. Our times call for new thinking. But the values Ronald Reagan brought to America's conduct in the world will not change.

So as we dedicate this ship, I want to rededicate American policy to Ronald Reagan's vision of optimism, modesty, and resolve. Ronald Reagan's optimism defined his character and it defined his presidency. More than a habit of mind, this optimism sprang from deep confidence in the power and future of American ideals. Great democracies, he believed, are built on the strong foundation of consent and human dignity. Any government built on oppression is built on sand. The future, he proclaimed, belongs to the free.

That belief has lost none of its power to inspire hope and change. Around the world today, the expectation of freedom is fed by free markets and expanded by free trade, and carried across borders by the Internet. And nations that try to restrict these freedoms are in a losing battle with liberty.

America, by nature, stands for freedom. And we must always remember, we benefit when it expands. So we will stand by those nations moving toward freedom. We'll stand up to those nations who deny freedom and threaten our neighbors or our vital interests. And we will assert emphatically that the future will belong to the free.

At the same time President Reagan understood that this confidence should never be arrogance. No one was better at using the bully pulpit of the presidency, but under his leadership America was never a bully.

One of the ways we show the world we take our values seriously is to live by them, ourselves. Our nation cherishes freedom, but we do not own it. While it is the birthright of every American, it is also the equal promise of the religious believe in Southern Sudan, or an Iraqi farmer in the Tigris Valley, or of a child born in China today. We help fulfill that promise not by lecturing the world, but by leading it.

Precisely because America is powerful, we must be sensitive about expressing our power and influence. Our goal is to patiently build the momentum of freedom, not create resentment for America itself. We pursue our goals; we will listen to others; we want strong friends to join us, not weak neighbors to dominate. In all our dealings with other nations, we will display the modesty of true confidence and strength.

And finally, Ronald Reagan understood that the advance of freedom depends on American strength. We must have a military that is second to none, and that includes a Navy that is second to none. (Applause.)

As has been mentioned, for the last 60 years, every President has had to ask, where are the carriers? None has ever been disappointed by the Navy's response. Just a few weeks ago, I asked the same question, and called upon the Harry S. Truman in the Persian Gulf. Ronald Reagan built the military of today, the military that keeps our peace. But we cannot live forever on that legacy. Our challenge is to build a military that will deter and win the wars of the future.

Almost 20 years ago President Reagan made his first visit to an aircraft carrier, the USS Constellation. He told the sailors how grateful America was that they were there as a powerful force in an uncertain world. One hundred thousand tons of American power you see over here will carry forward this proud tradition. In fact, in two years, the Reagan will actually replace the U.S. Constellation.

What you don't see is what's different between those two magnificent vessels. The island on the Reagan's main deck is almost the same height as that of its predecessors, but it has one less level. The empty space will be filled with cables that will tie the ship into a vast network that connects information and weapons in new ways. This will revolutionize the Navy's ability to project American power over land and sea, ensuring access for all our forces, wherever our vital interests are threatened.

These new capabilities are the future of our military, not just the Navy, but of all our services. It is the future of where a revolution in technology will change the face of war, itself. We'll keep the peace by redefining the terms of war. We'll change our military, yet we will never forget that America's strength ultimately depends on the courage and spirit of the men and women who wear the uniform.

Nearly half our ships are at sea right now. One-third are forward deployed overseas, taking their crew away from family and the comforts of home. In our sleep we don't think about the enemies that the men and women who wear the uniform deter, the friends they reassure, the freedom in trade they guarantee. Yet, we rest at night protected by the security they provide.

As President, Ronald Reagan understood our duty to these brave Americans, and so do I. Our men and women in uniform give America their best, and we owe them our support in return. These are the defining qualities of Ronald Reagan, optimism, modesty and strength. They're also the qualities that will guide America in a new century.

So, today, the Ronald Reagan begins its journey into the bright and peaceful dawn that President Reagan helped to bring. All of us here wish the ship Ronald Reagan Godspeed. And we wish Ronald Reagan God's blessings.

God bless America. (Applause.)

I'd be willing to sell them a Nimitz Class if they named it the "Lafayette."

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

I bet the wine cellar is well stocked.

Given the deteriorating state of education in the US, I would say that we're about 10-20 years away from not being able to build a seaworthy ship ourselves.