rickusn

As much as I dislike France I do have one point. They can and do project power worldwide.

You are right about the Cassards even worse their SM-1 system is recycled from previous DDGs. It was a cheap way to provide AAW escorts. They were originally programmed to receive ASTER-30 missles. Apparently with the decision to build four of the Forbin class this wont happen now.


India, China, Spain and Italy cant and dont project power world-wide. They all have plans to change that to varying degrees. Although Spain and Italy seem to be content to confine their activities to the MED for the most part. India and China have a larger vision.

Japan has better AAW escorts than all of them IMHO. When it comes to top-line surface combatants they have more than those four combined plus their replacement shipbuilding program is much more robust. Excellent SSK's and they could easily field 30 of them in a short time they now have 23 including fully operational units nominally designated training submarines. Plus a # of less than 30 year old units in reserve. Six large AOE's mean they can stay at sea for prolonged periods.

They are modern accross the board, well-trained, well-maintained and well- funded. The four new(building) DDH typed ships are actually carriers and they want the F-35(or similar aircraft) in the worst way. If the USN no longer homeports a carrier in Japan after 2008 they are poised to fill the vacuum virtually instantaneously. A true large carrier they could build in four years or less.

They have the money, infrastructure and technical expertise to become #2 in the world in five years if they wanted and all signs point to it for their own survival if nothing else. They are totally dependent on world trade and an unfettered access to raw materials in particular oil.

And they are #5 now hands down. If you dont like France 4th. LOL

In fact their AAW escorts beat the UK and Russia. As all their systems are obsolete also.