spsun100001
New Member
The 2017 Global Firepower ratings place France fifth and the UK sixth.
It reports the UK defence budget as 30% bigger than France ($45.7 billion vs. $35 billion) and yet France has 205,000 military personnel to the UK's 150,000, she has 63% more tanks than the UK (406 vs. 249), 52% more aircraft (1,305 vs. 856) and we know that she has had capabilities the UK has lacked for years such as maritime patrol aircraft and an aircraft carrier.
Both countries have a similar cost base and both maintain a submarine based deterrent force. So are the apparent differences in resources not telling the full story or is the UK just getting shocking vale for money for its defence spending?
It reports the UK defence budget as 30% bigger than France ($45.7 billion vs. $35 billion) and yet France has 205,000 military personnel to the UK's 150,000, she has 63% more tanks than the UK (406 vs. 249), 52% more aircraft (1,305 vs. 856) and we know that she has had capabilities the UK has lacked for years such as maritime patrol aircraft and an aircraft carrier.
Both countries have a similar cost base and both maintain a submarine based deterrent force. So are the apparent differences in resources not telling the full story or is the UK just getting shocking vale for money for its defence spending?