Posted on 08/13/2020 7:15:53 AM PDT by BenLurkin
France is deploying two Rafale fighter jets and a naval frigate in the eastern Mediterranean because of tensions between Greece and Turkey.
French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters in the area. A Turkish survey ship began such a mission on Monday, angering Greece.
The area is rich in untapped energy.
There are also tensions around Cyprus over rival exploration rights. The Republic of Cyprus and Greece do not accept any such rights for Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus in the region.
France is also at odds with Turkey over the crisis in Libya. Turkey has sent military support to the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, while France, Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates support the forces of Gen Khalifa Haftar. Russia and the UAE are Gen Haftar's main arms suppliers.
The French frigate La Fayette has been on exercises with the Greek navy and is staying in the area. The Rafale jets were in Cyprus for an exercise and are now relocating to Souda, on the Greek island of Crete.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
An overwhelming force or mere weak posturing?
Here I expected it to be about France’s support for the African/Muslim invasion of the United Kingdom.
I’m sure Erdogan is just all a-quiver over those two jets.
Capacity: 2 barges, one Leclerc battalion, 70 vehicles
Complement: 20 officers, 80 petty officers, 60 Quarter-masters, 450 passengers (900 for a short cruise), 150 men for an onboard headquarters
Armament: 2 Simbad systems
2 30 mm Breda-Mauser (not installed)
4 12.7 mm M2-HB Browning machine guns
Aircraft carried: 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Tonnerre_(L9014)
Overkill. It only takes one Rafale fighter jet to surrender.
Armament:
Anti-ship;
8 × Exocet MM40 block II anti-ship missiles
Guns;
1 × 100 mm TR automatic gun
2 × 20 mm modèle F2 guns
Anti-aircraft;
1 × Crotale CN2 launcher (8 missiles on the launcher with 16 reload)
(Provision for future 16 × Aster 15 missiles in VLS)
Aircraft carried: 1 × helicopter (Panther or NH90)
If I recall, Turkey has the third largest military in the area. If France wanted to send a signal, it would need to be larger and include readiness spares with full logistics support. We are talking millions of euros.
If Macron wants a piece of this, God bless him. Better than us wasting resources in his neighborhood. I’m with G. Washington on this stuff. Learned my lesson after 9/11.
Not one, but two Rafale fighter jets and a naval frigate. This should scare the hell out of them! /s
Somebody had to be in position to surrender!
“Number built 201 as of 2019”
So, a 1% deployment.
...two Rafale fighter jets and a naval frigate...
This is remarkable development. Yes, I do sound sarcastic, but I really mean it. Erdogan's just had his bluff called, now we get to see whether he intends to piss off the EU and the rest of NATO, or he stands down and makes himself look like the impotent monkey that he is. His black swan option is to actually start a war with France. Don't think he will, I think this was his face-saver move, right here:
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