France repeatedly tried to expand its carrier force after Bearn. Government pressure to cut costs redirected the next project toward a seaplane carrier. Delay erased the expected saving, so France paid more for a compromise without a conventional flight deck. That sequence links the carrier shortfall to unstable procurement and weak program continuity.
Chapter · 11:55-12:27
French carrier delay and the seaplane compromise
The answer starts with France's post-Bearn carrier problem: a planned fleet carrier gives way to a delayed and costly seaplane-carrier compromise.