Do you think France could bomb ISIS without US assistance? We will provide security for their carrier group, an air corridor, targeting information...assist every step along the way.
Yesterday they sent 12 planes, 10 of which were combat aircraft. Not sure where they took off from, but likely a US controlled air strip of from France, with RAF or US refuelers.
6th strongest military means behind US, China, Russia, India...and just in the same shot group as most other NATO nations.
Of course they’re a nuke nation (they are famous for they’re adoption of nuclear power plants). And they have adopted a doctrine similar to ours in the Eisenhower years - defensive and based on deterrence. They are not geared towards projecting power.
Agree with most of what you said, except your claim they are in the same shot group as most other NATO nations.
France and England are ranked shoulder to shoulder, but the rest of NATO is extremely far behind except Germany which is still down the ladder from the above two. No other NATO nation makes the top ten.
The French Rafale is not to be sneezed at. For such a small country in comparison to all the other ranked military forces except Gr. Britain, I think France holds its end up very well.