French navy cancels missions due to fuel costs

[Woodmonkey]

Drug interdiction exercise with U.S. Navy among missions canceled

PARIS — The French navy has canceled three summer missions, including an exercise with the United States, because of soaring fuel prices, a French navy official said Monday.

“All of our missions are important, but we had to cut those that were least crucial,” said spokesperson Pascal Subtil.

The most significant of the canceled missions involves a training mission in the United States. French ship De Grasse had been slated to sail alongside American ships in an exercise off the east coast and take part in a drug-trafficking prevention mission.

“Exercises help us learn how to work together,” Subtil said. “De Grasse’s participation would have been a good way of training our personnel.”

French Rafale fighter planes are still scheduled to participate in the exercise.

Other canceled missions include a courtesy call to the port of Le Havre by Le Mistral to mark France’s national day on July 14. The ship had been scheduled to make the detour on its way home after shipping aid slated for Myanmar cyclone victims.

The naval frigate Montcalm will also return directly from Lebanon to France rather than heading first to the Black Sea for a “presence mission,” the Navy said.

Subtil and others said that to the best of their knowledge this was the first time that French Navy missions had been called off due to the price of fuel.

“We are confronted with the same problems as all professionals who travel,” Navy communications chief Capt. Jerome Erulin said earlier. Cutbacks are “normal management of our resources.”

Such examples have not been reported in other European capitals, although the head of the Portuguese Air Force, Gen. Luis Araujo, said recently he was having “serious problems” with high fuel prices for aircraft.

NATO spokesman James Appathurai said he was unaware of any discussions on the impact of rising fuel costs on missions of the military alliance.

“I don’t think there is a general concern in NATO about this,” he said.

Fishermen and truck drivers in France and around Europe are concerned, however. They have carried out protests in recent weeks to press for government aid, saying the high prices threaten their livelihoods.

In Spain on Monday, tens of thousands of Spanish truckers began an indefinite strike that risks bringing the country to a standstill. A strike by fishermen entered a second week.

The Source

[lrrps]

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

Drug interdiction exercise with U.S. Navy among missions canceled

PARIS — The French navy has canceled three summer missions, including an exercise with the United States, because of soaring fuel prices, a French navy official said Monday.

“All of our missions are important, but we had to cut those that were least crucial,” said spokesperson Pascal Subtil.

The most significant of the canceled missions involves a training mission in the United States. French ship De Grasse had been slated to sail alongside American ships in an exercise off the east coast and take part in a drug-trafficking prevention mission.

“Exercises help us learn how to work together,” Subtil said. “De Grasse’s participation would have been a good way of training our personnel.”

French Rafale fighter planes are still scheduled to participate in the exercise.

Other canceled missions include a courtesy call to the port of Le Havre by Le Mistral to mark France’s national day on July 14. The ship had been scheduled to make the detour on its way home after shipping aid slated for Myanmar cyclone victims.

The naval frigate Montcalm will also return directly from Lebanon to France rather than heading first to the Black Sea for a “presence mission,” the Navy said.

Subtil and others said that to the best of their knowledge this was the first time that French Navy missions had been called off due to the price of fuel.

“We are confronted with the same problems as all professionals who travel,” Navy communications chief Capt. Jerome Erulin said earlier. Cutbacks are “normal management of our resources.”

Such examples have not been reported in other European capitals, although the head of the Portuguese Air Force, Gen. Luis Araujo, said recently he was having “serious problems” with high fuel prices for aircraft.

NATO spokesman James Appathurai said he was unaware of any discussions on the impact of rising fuel costs on missions of the military alliance.

“I don’t think there is a general concern in NATO about this,” he said.

Fishermen and truck drivers in France and around Europe are concerned, however. They have carried out protests in recent weeks to press for government aid, saying the high prices threaten their livelihoods.

In Spain on Monday, tens of thousands of Spanish truckers began an indefinite strike that risks bringing the country to a standstill. A strike by fishermen entered a second week.

The Source

Le Havre is France largest seaport, this is where I live.

[Woodmonkey]

I went through Le Havre years ago, lrrps. Welcome to Trackpads.

[lrrps]

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

I went through Le Havre years ago, lrrps. Welcome to Trackpads.

Thanks Woodmonkey,

If you have the opportunity to visit Le Havre again, gimme a call.

[Woodmonkey]

I doubt I'll ever make it back, but you're on!