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Old 4th May 2015, 12:45
  #25 (permalink)  
rjtjrt
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Australia
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Reinhardt
There is still memory (and caution) in the Australian Defence Department of the French due to their action in related to the ban on continuing to supply DEFA 30mm ammunition to Australia during the Vietnam war.
Plenty of maturity in the RAAF then, but naive trust in the French that is unlikely to be repeated.
Also involved in other bans at the same time were Swiss, Swedish and UK governments (Porter aircraft parts, Carl Gustav, and 1000lb bombs for Canberra aircraft). All of which left a memory in Australia.
US since then seen as a much more reliable supplier (and ally) than Europe, in our context.
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