These caught my attention today:
http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=103819&c=1
where it is stated the the French Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle will soon depart for the Horn of Africa and the Northern Indian Ocean. It will remain in the area through May this year.
The ACC is currently being loaded with 500 tonnes of munitions, including Aster 15 and Mistral "auto defence missiles", and a significant arsenal of bombs and missiles of all genres, including exocet anti-aircraft, laser guided bombs and air to air Magic 2 and Mica, not to mention ASMP nuclear missiles carried by Super Etendard strike fighter jets.
In all there will be 28 fighter jets of different genres, including the newest Rafael F2 Omni-role fighters, capable of attacking ground targets. Also included will be 5 helicopters designed for "Combat Search and Rescue" missions.
Officially, the mission is to support the less than 2,000 French troops currently in Afghanistan, but doesn't that seem like an awful lot of firepower just to support a few thousand troops sitting up in Afghanistan?
Of course, it could be just "war games", but for the fact that very real and further war is planned by the US and Israel in the very same region, expected by many to begin sometime in April this year, and the French ACC is going to be hanging around the Northern Indian Ocean, just out of reach, we presume, of Iranian missiles.
Joe
and the article in French here:Iran tests missiles "able to sink big warships"
http://www.signs-of-the-times.org/articles/show/127040-Iran+tests+missiles+%22able+to+sink+big+warships%22
Iran's Revolutionary Guards test-fired missiles on Thursday that a commander said could sink "big warships" in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the northern Indian Ocean, the state broadcaster said.
http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=103819&c=1
where it is stated the the French Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle will soon depart for the Horn of Africa and the Northern Indian Ocean. It will remain in the area through May this year.
The ACC is currently being loaded with 500 tonnes of munitions, including Aster 15 and Mistral "auto defence missiles", and a significant arsenal of bombs and missiles of all genres, including exocet anti-aircraft, laser guided bombs and air to air Magic 2 and Mica, not to mention ASMP nuclear missiles carried by Super Etendard strike fighter jets.
In all there will be 28 fighter jets of different genres, including the newest Rafael F2 Omni-role fighters, capable of attacking ground targets. Also included will be 5 helicopters designed for "Combat Search and Rescue" missions.
Officially, the mission is to support the less than 2,000 French troops currently in Afghanistan, but doesn't that seem like an awful lot of firepower just to support a few thousand troops sitting up in Afghanistan?
Of course, it could be just "war games", but for the fact that very real and further war is planned by the US and Israel in the very same region, expected by many to begin sometime in April this year, and the French ACC is going to be hanging around the Northern Indian Ocean, just out of reach, we presume, of Iranian missiles.
Joe