English: USS Enterprise the back, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, steams alongside the newest, the French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle (R 91) the front. Enterprise and her battle group are on a scheduled deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Doug Pearlman. [010516-N-6259P-003] May 16, 2001. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R 91) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to this important article from leading French news agency, AFP , published on Yahoo News, ‘France displaces Britain as key US military ally’. It’s a must read. Check it out!

via France displaces Britain as key US military ally – Yahoo News.

The article cites, France’s close cooperation in the Middle East, putting

Charles de Gaulle (R 91), France’s only nuclear aircraft carrier. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

aircraft carrier ‘ the Charles de Gaulle’ under the command of the US military, with French and US generals getting very close. It goes on to talk about the UK no longer being the US’s military ally because of austerity cuts.

When Obama first came to power, he turned his back on the US’s historic special relationship with the UK, preferring to make advances to Germany, the economic powerhouse of Europe, As Obama changed US foreign policy, withdrawing US troops from global conflicts,  he was disappointed that he could not get Germany to contribute more to international defense. Meanwhile, under David Cameron’s government, UK defense spending has been severely savaged in austerity cuts. France’s  ‘Charles de Gaulle’ aircraft carrier raises a thorny subject for the UK’s military effectiveness after austerity (open this link for an excellent Daily Mail article on the UK’s limited and reduced aircraft carrier capability). So, overall, the conclusions of the AFP article are not really a surprise.

France has always been proud to intervene in foreign military conflict to help the underdog. Sadly, post austerity, the UK’s Navy is a tiny shadow of her historic former self. But I sense that France could still learn that Obama is fickle. Obama is a lame-duck president, trying to improve his record for posterity. For example, this weekend, we have seen that France is providing the backbone to negotiations with Iran, with Kerry ready to strike a deal at any cost.

France, who desperately needs to reform her economy, has rejected Germany’s calls for greater austerity. After the Charlie Hebdo attack, France will be glad that she has retained her military strength.

With the UK election weeks away, surely it’s overdue to have a public debate on the UK’s defense spending? {I’m not surprised that the UK’s Telegraph leads on this story today}.

Thoughts?