How much joint work share will there really be on the Carriers?

Erm, not much.

And thats despite the French DGA being desperate for joint workshare so they can afford a second carrier.

Well, having seen DCN “new build” ships being delivered in the Middle East and knowing how they operate I wouldnt allow DCN to build anything for me. The main problem being that the UK defence market is just that, a “market”. The French Defence industry is not, its a monopoly, and DCN has had next to no pressure on it to reform.

I really hope that work share can be found, especially on design and sub systems and mission systems, it will save both countries money. But if the French really want a truely joint system they will have to adopt a market not monopoly approach. But that just isnt going to happen until France goes through the painful reforms the UK did in the 1980s.

Thales to win 500 mln euros from British carriers

Fri Jul 27, 2007

PARIS, July 27 (Reuters) – French defence systems and electronics company Thales said on Friday it expected to gain business worth at least 500 million euros from Britain’s aircraft carrier project.

Britain gave the go-ahead on Wednesday for plans to spend 3.9 billion pounds ($8 billion) to build two aircraft carriers.

Thales is involved in the design of the carriers.

“It will be at least 500 million euros,” Thales Chief Excecutive Denis Ranque told analysts on a conference call, referring to the value of work in which Thales is involved.

Thales is working on the project with Britain’s two largest shipbuilders, BAE Systems and VT Group, who have announced plans to merge shipbuilding operations. The French company is also part of a separate project to build a new French carrier together with state shipyard DCN, recently renamed DCNS, in which it has a 25 percent stake.

France says talks are continuing with Britain over plans to pool part of the two programmes such as procuremwent.

But the British government appeared this week to reject French calls, supported by Thales, to combine the construction of the three sets of hull blocks using yards in both countries.

None of the British hull sections will be built in France, British Defence Equipment and Support Minister Paul Drayson told Reuters in an interview this week.