With the cliffhanger of Brexit finally looming over the horizon is it not time to expand and deepen our co-operation with the Marine Nationale? Although our EEZs are separated by a thin UK slice the proximity of the French and Irish will mean that close co-operation not just on fishery protect but on anti-drug and counter terrorism will remain essential.
While joint exercises are good as is co-operation can we go further? Can we take a current issue of the NS and turn it into an opportunity? The recruitment/retention crisis! It is likely that the NS will soon be down to 5 operations vessels and if and when it ever gets the EPV/MPV this would only add to the crewing problems. Could we go further than joint exercises and do sharing of assets?
The French currently use the A-69 (D’Estienne d’Orves-class) as OPVs having removed much of the equipment for ASW and ASuW. These vessels are old as the hills with the first of the class entering service in 1976, the youngest of the current vessels entering service in 1981! They are planning to replace these and the much smaller OPV54 Flament class with new vessels starting in 2025. Going on what the budget is expected to be something of the capability of the P60 is likely, therefore rather than having vessels tied up due to lack of crew could we not offer sharing of the P60s?
It could be that command is retained by a Irish captain but he has French officers under his command along with some more French crew? And that the P60s and A69s operate as a joint force patrolling the Atlantic EEZs of our two nations. Asset sharing is nothing new in military field especially the air domain where NATO has had shared E3 and C17 assets and the EU will now begin with its A330 MRTT fleet. Could we bring this to the marine environment?
While joint exercises are good as is co-operation can we go further? Can we take a current issue of the NS and turn it into an opportunity? The recruitment/retention crisis! It is likely that the NS will soon be down to 5 operations vessels and if and when it ever gets the EPV/MPV this would only add to the crewing problems. Could we go further than joint exercises and do sharing of assets?
The French currently use the A-69 (D’Estienne d’Orves-class) as OPVs having removed much of the equipment for ASW and ASuW. These vessels are old as the hills with the first of the class entering service in 1976, the youngest of the current vessels entering service in 1981! They are planning to replace these and the much smaller OPV54 Flament class with new vessels starting in 2025. Going on what the budget is expected to be something of the capability of the P60 is likely, therefore rather than having vessels tied up due to lack of crew could we not offer sharing of the P60s?
It could be that command is retained by a Irish captain but he has French officers under his command along with some more French crew? And that the P60s and A69s operate as a joint force patrolling the Atlantic EEZs of our two nations. Asset sharing is nothing new in military field especially the air domain where NATO has had shared E3 and C17 assets and the EU will now begin with its A330 MRTT fleet. Could we bring this to the marine environment?
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