Well it now seems that the departure of FS
Charles De Gaulle from the Libyan theatre will be sooner than some thought.
France to withdraw Libya carrier by mid-August - Reuters
This will make NATO's job a lot harder - particularly in dealing with urgent targets. If only we had a carrier with jets (see my idea above), then the UK and France could rotate carriers...
In
The Scotsman, Clive Fairweather hits the
nail on the head:
The desperate state of the country's finances has not only led to a much-needed review of commitments versus resources, it has also resulted in rushed and even panicky decisions to save an immediate bob or two, which could have long-term detrimental effects on the nation's interests.
The sudden scrapping of the Harrier force is a prime example. No sooner had all the crews been dispersed than the Libyan crisis blew up and we needed ground-attack aircraft operating from off the coast. In the end, we had to resort to expensive Italian bases and more vulnerable Apache helicopters to complete what could be the mere opening phases of the mission. Nor is Italian political support guaranteed, especially if it turns out we are in for the long haul.
On which note a spat seems to have broken out between Italy and NATO.