France-Canada to revive Atlantic battle for seafloor

[Kirkhill]

Piper - I think you are right but air delivery from shore offers a number of advantages not least of which is that the "magazine" from which the CF-18s and CP-140s might reload could be essentially unlimited in size.  The ships only have what they have on board then have to take a long time off station to reload.  As well the CF-18s, and even the CP-140s are significantly smaller targets than ships,  much more manoeuverable than ships and don't have to expose themselves for as long - in fact if I understand the current generation of the Harpoon /SLAM-ER they don't need to get any closer than 280 km and the missile will designate its own target.

I would be inclined to think those shipboard missiles, when the ships are operating under allied aircover, may be better held in reserve for self-defense or for defense of the task-force if air cover goes away.

This is getting seriously off topic though -  as Infanteer rightly points out - we're not going to having these discussions with the French......

Harper IS talking about extending jurisdiction to the Nose and Tail and the Flemish Cap though...

 

[KevinB]

We have the Estai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbot_War

- Are you seriously equating bombing a vessel in a friendly port and killing a civilian, with the seizure of the Estai (which was guilty)?

 

[geo]

Piper....
the trouble with your post is that....
It can be a magnet for all the "quebec bashers" out there.
I live there - don't want to hear about it

that's it for me on this thread

Bye!
'

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I believe the Halifax class frigates are still equipped with Harpoon ASMs.

ASM is Air to surface missile (I believe some are confusing it to mean anti-ship missile). Harpoon is an SSM (ship to ship missile)

It is made for killing ships but for the sake of clarification....

 

[Kirkhill]

Ex-dragoon:

Those Harpoons - are there reloads on board? If not can you cross-deck them from the AORs and reload at sea or do you have to go back to port to reload?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Nope just the 8 a CPF carries...and the AORs don't carry any for re armament purposes.

 

[Kirkhill]

Back to plan A then I guess - hang on to them until you really need them?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

If a suitable target came up there is no reason why we would not use them.

 

[Kirkhill]

Glad to hear it.

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Anyways the Charles de Gaulle only embarks 7 Rafalle, which are only able to perform air to air missions.

CDG carries 10 Rafale(air defence/strike), 24 Super Entendards (strike), 2 E2C (AEW), and either 2 Panthers or Cougar helicopters.

 

[Clément Barbeau Vermet]

CDG carries 10 Rafale(air defence/strike), 24 Super Entendards (strike), 2 E2C (AEW), and either 2 Panthers or Cougar helicopters.

By saying that the CDG only carries 7 (10, Army-Technology is a little bit late) Rafale I did not meant it could not embark other aircrafts or helicopters. And all the Rafales the French presently have are only to F1 standard (air to air). They will only be converted to F2 standard latter (adding air to ground capacity).
                                                                                                                              Clément

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

I go by what I have seen her actual carrier air wing to be at...I  believe Janes is similar with some minor differences in the Super Enterndard and helicopter numbers.