Posted on 06/06/2008 3:08:35 PM PDT by blam
French army falling apart, documents show
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 10:50PM BST 06/06/2008
Most of France's tanks, helicopters and jet fighters are unusable and its defence apparatus is on the verge of "falling apart", it has emerged.
France's military has been given a bleak prognosis
According to confidential defence documents leaked to the French press, less than half of France's Leclerc tanks – 142 out of 346 – are operational and even these regularly break down.
Less than half of its Puma helicopters, 37 per cent of its Lynx choppers and 33 per cent of its Super Frelon models – built 40 years ago – are in a fit state to fly, according to documents seen by Le Parisien newspaper.
Two thirds of France's Mirage F1 reconnaissance jets are unusable at present.
According to army officials, the precarious state of France's defence equipment almost led to catastrophe in April, when French special forces rescued the passengers and crew of a luxury yacht held by pirates off the Somali coast.
Although ultimately a success, the rescue operation nearly foundered at an early stage, when two of the frigates carrying troops suffered engine failure, and a launch laden with special forces' equipment sunk under its weight.
Later, an Atlantic 2 jet tracking the pirates above Somali territory suffered engine failure and had to make an emergency landing in Yemen.
"External operations, in the Ivory Coast and Lebanon are a fig leaf: we are able to keep up the pretence but in ten years our defence apparatus will fall apart," one high-ranking official said.
The disclosure comes just ten days before President Nicolas Sarkozy announces a major reform of the armed forces, with a defence white paper outlining France's military priorities for the next 15 years.
He is expected to argue that the situation can only improve by reducing the number of France's operational troops from 50,000 to 30,000, and its fighter aircraft, as well as closing military bases.
He will also use the occasion to push for greater military integration in Europe, an issue that France will highlight when it takes over the EU's six-month rotating presidency in July.
French proposals circulating in Brussels show that France wants a new EU military headquarters based in the Belgian capital and run by Europe's new foreign policy chief. It is also calling for a bigger rapid reaction force and for countries to spend more on defence.
France has played down its European defence ambitions for fear of boosting the No vote in Ireland's referendum on the Lisbon treaty on June 12.
In parallel to beefing up the EU's defence capability, Mr Sarkozy is keen on France becoming a full member of Nato's integrated military command structure, which Charles de Gaulle left in 1966. But he is unlikely to make a decision on this until next year.
I can’t think of a better place for a military capital than Belgium. When fighting breaks out they can sketch out an anti-US Smurf cartoon in a heartbeat.
before the inevitable jokes start, I just want to state that this is Not A Good Thing for anybody.
Sounds like they have the perfect excuse for surrendering .... again.
before the inevitable jokes start, I just want to state that this is Not A Good Thing for anybody.
****
...no white flag jokes? Now I have that out of the way, I agree. Sarkozy is the only Frenchman I know who;s got the stones to go after our enemies, and who actually gets the GWOT. Looks like WE have to pick up the tab and the slack...
Please dont send our soldiers there a la WW2 when the French couldn;t fight their way out of a paper bag.
No, you are right. Have you noticed a general malaise in so much internationally? Strange. And a do-nothing congress that won’t act on ANYTHING.
What good is NATO if we are the only country that maintains a functioning army?
Why should we do for them that they refuse to do for themselves?
Look on the bright side, if the French army is batterd and old, then there will be some money to be made supplying them with new equipment.
US has a legally limited # of formal troops, and it is much larger, but we've also got a BOATLOAD of unorganized militia that can read a map better than most butter-bars, and shoot better than most squadies.
Damn. They are cheese-eating-surrender monkeys.
/johnny
I disagree. If this is true, at least when the muslims complete their takeover of France they will inherit a bunch of junk.
A nation of 50 million can put together 30,000 troops. Sad.
They only have 50,000 troops and want to downsize to 30,000?
Who cares if they’re a member of NATO or not? Considering how many in the armed forces are basically administrative staff, that amount can’t even protect the country, much less project force elsewhere.
France!....after all these years still falling flat on its ass!
Hey France,
Next time the Germans invade your country, call someone else.
Thank you.
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