UK-French tie-up could solve carrier headache

Monday, 1 November 2010 12:00 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Enhanced UK-French military cooperation is expected to be agreed by David Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy tomorrow.

The pair will sign a treaty outlining plans to conduct joint training exercises for ground troops and consider cooperating on research projects and military air transport.

Britain and France could reportedly share aircraft carriers from 2020, resolving the problem which dominated the run-up to last month's strategic defence and security review.

That document confirmed the UK would go ahead with the construction of the two new carriers, but would look to mothball or sell on one of the pair.

During periods when Britain's carrier is in port for refit UK jets could fly from the French carrier, according to reports.

"Working with France on defence makes good practical sense," a senior source said.

"This is about two sovereign countries working together based on a hard-headed assessment of what is in Britain's national interests."

The Conservative party remains deeply opposed to further European defence integration, but heightened cooperation with France could represent a first step towards a unified approach.

Together the UK and France represent 55% of Europe's operational forces and 45% of its military budget, the Financial Times reported a French official as saying.

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• foreign policy