The French navy passed through the same evolution process from conventional to missiles types in the 1960s and even became a recognised missile manufacturer. After 1946, the Marshall plan helped France rebuilt her ravaged economy and in the late-40s – early 1950s and two shipyards were able to produce the first postwar destroyers, the T47. Of course, this situation was not going to last. France was left impoverished and with all its shipyards in ruins, as well as its industries, and qualified manpower returned either from POW camps or compulsory work service (STO). The French post war fleet was a mix of surviving units passed under the free French control and allied units passed from either the royal navy or in large majority the US Navy Freighters already were of us construction including former liberty ships that helped French postwar trade until the 1960s. The Missile Cruiser Colbert (1953-1991).Clemenceau class Aircraft Carriers (1957).Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Jean Bart laid to rest at Casablanca, after Operation Torch Nov. More than ever today it is part of a network of multinational programs under the European flag.į-14 Tomcats over FS Foch, during a joint exercise USS JOHN F. ![]() ![]() Export-wise, France also count on a large military industrial complex, with naval group and specialists such as MDBA (now Euromissiles), Dassault and Aerospatiale (now Eurocopter) for the air component, Thales for electronics, or SEMT Pielstick for marine diesels. Other landmarks includes the Suffren class missile destroyers, France’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier built from 1987, and after the end of the cold war, the first stealth frigates of the Lafayette class. ![]() In 1966 however, General de Gaulle decided to withdraw from NATO integrated command, while pursuing the French nuclear deterrence program, notably relying on SSBNs and SSNs, making the “hexagon”, the world’s fourth nuclear power. Until its WW2 ships came out of service, the French Navy in the early cold war needed about ten years to recover a shipbuilding capability in order to deliver new capital ships: Two cruisers and a battleships were completed on modernized designs, several war reparation vessels integrated, others modernized, and in 1961, the fleet welcomed its first domestic aircraft carriers since the 1920s, which became the center of two task forces. Marine Nationale – The Cold War French Navy Overview: The French navy in the cold war: 1947-1991
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |