French navy cancels missions due to fuel costs

French navy cancels missions due to fuel costs
By Gaelle Faure - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 10, 2008 6:48:56 EDT

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.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_french_navy_060908/

.... Probably not.......Sigh.