Sarkozy: “Britain and France have pooled their sovereignty.”
November 2nd, 2010Via: Guardian:
Britain and France today signed a landmark 50-year treaty on defence and security that envisages the joint use of aircraft carriers, a 10,000-strong joint expeditionary force and unprecedented new levels of co-operation over nuclear missiles.
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Cameron disclosed that the two treaties would:
* Create a joint expeditionary task force in which around 5,000 UK and French troops from all three services will train and exercise together from 2011. The force will be able to launch high-intensity peacekeeping, rescue or combat missions.
* Co-operate on an integrated strike force ensuring aircraft can operate off both the planned British carrier and the French carrier Charles de Gaulle. Operations would start with training missions, and would eventually provide cover when one nation’s carrier was in dock for maintenance. Britain will modify its future aircraft carrier to make it compatible with French aircraft.
There will also be new co-operation on procurement, including a joint common support plan for the future fleets of A400m transport aircraft being brought by both countries. The two sides also agreed to work together over the next 10 years on unmanned drone aircraft, as well as on nuclear submarine technology.
In a separate agreement that Cameron said would save hundreds of millions of pounds, the two countries agreed to co-operate on nuclear safety by building a jointly run facility at Valduc, near Dijon, that will model performance of UK and French nuclear warheads and materials in co-operation with a joint Technology Development Centre at Aldermaston.
The French laboratory will host British defence scientists to carry out tests on their country’s nuclear warhead stockpile, soon to be cut to 120.
In return, French officials will be stationed at the UK facility to work on nuclear test technology.
