Western European Navies (week 43)

Political News
THE single biggest news is that the UK and France are going to sign a defence treaty.

The Spanish Secretary of State for Defence , Constantino Mendez, criticized the mismanagement throughout a series of major acquisitions for the modernization and professionalization of the Spanish armed forces.

The Spanish Ministry of Industry will inject €1,250 million into the Spanish MoD.

The French MoD has put a dossier online which looks at the possibility of a future European navy.
They also did a comparison between the number (no, not capabilities) of naval vessels in the EU and the US:
Carriers: EU 7 - US 11
Destroyers: EU 18- US 61
Frigates: EU 119- US 29
Amphibious: EU 27 - US 34
Submarines: EU 50 - US 50
MCMV: EU 157 - US 14

Global Operations
For news on Operation Atalanta: see their website.

Trial against Somali Pirates in Hamburg (Germany) to start November 22.

HDMS Esbern Snare has destroyed a pirate mother ship.
For some reasons the Danes are never part of Operation Atalanta, but they are often present around the Horn of Africa.

The French carrier Charles de Gaulle has returned to sea and is expected to set off on its delayed mission after a very short period of working back up.

Shipbuilding
Changing the flightdeck and installing CATOBAR systems will make the 2 new British carriers at least £500 million more expensive.

France has signed an agreement with DCNS to use the Gowind OPV that DCNS paid for themselves.

The Greek Navy and German submarine builder ThyssenKrupp have ended their quarrel over the Type 214 submarines with the announcement that an agreement has been reached to deliver one completed submarine and resume work on two more.

The minehunters of the Royal Navy are getting an upgrade.

Exercises
The Spanish navy carried out an exercise in the search and rescue of submarines in the Mediterranean.

Upcoming Exercise
Emerald Move 2010
3000 personnel, 11 ships, 19 planes and helicopters from Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and host nation Senegal.
Ships (that I know of):
FS Cassard
FS Siroco
FS Tonnere
ITS San Giorgio
ITS San Marco
HNLMS Johan de witt

Other
MBDA is preparing for the first test firing of a submarine launched SCALP in 2011.
They have also started production of the first SIMBAD-RC prototype.

It looks like the French MPA Atlantique 2 will be getting a systems upgrade, to keep them in service until 2030.

Poland is going to try to renegotiate a contract with Norway for Naval Strike Missiles.