FRENCH CVF. The victory of Sarkozy also means that France will continue to pursue the CVF, a new aircraft carrier project that may be developed in association with the Royal Navy. Royal made noises toward the end of the campaign about canceling the CVF, which irritated the French military. In a few years the existing French carrier, Charles De Gaulle, will enter refit, and the French Navy wants a second carrier before that happens. This may have a spillover effect on the CVF debate in the UK. If the French had pulled out, the already wobbly British project may have failed. Now that the French appear ready to move ahead, it could serve to spur the British project forward. --Robert Farley
