Royal Navy
Marine Nationale
(Note: both images above include allied escorts)
We will look at each aspect of their respective navies, and find which is more capable. The breakdown will follow the order of…
Each navy has developed their own highly advanced warships for offensive and escort purposes in their navy.
French Navy
Surface Combatants
First is the Horizon Class air defence frigate.
2 warships
A joint development between the French, Italians and British, with the British leaving to persue their own design. In American designation this would be classified as a destroyer, indicating it's high intensity role and importance to the defence of the fleet carrier. It is a capable warship although the project was always troubled and production was halted, with the Aquitaine class providing extra air defence support in new variants of the Frigate.
Aquitaine Class
8 warships
The backbone of the French fleet, it represent what comes of international cooperation and application of industry as it stems from the Franco-Italian FREMM family of warships as the lead class. It performs anti-submarine duties and carries a wide assortment of weapons for any engagment, and is more of a high functioning multi purpose frigate. As stated in the previous paragraph an air defence variant has been commissioned to aid the Horizon class. They include a more advanced radar and greater air defense weapons, but otherwise are functionally identical to their brethren.
La Fayette/FDI
5 warships
FDI
The La Fayette class is a general purpose frigate that performs duties that require a true surface combatant, but don't need the expensive high end vessels. The FDI is it's replacement. They both (will) perform their roles very well. I am interested in the FDI as it's very unorthodox, but intriguing.
There are a couple of other surface combatants in the French Navy, but are old, reclassified, and soon to he replaced by the new FDI. 7 warships
There are also about a dozen and a half patrol and mine laying vessels that will not be mentioned in detail today.
Carrier
1 carrier, Charles De Gaulle.
The jewel of the French fleet, the 45,000 tonne nuclear carrier allows the Navy to remain one of only 3 current true blue water navies. It has upsides and downsides, both of which are debated furiously among the community. However one looks at it, the ship provides France with a capability of nuclear/CATOBAR that only 1 of 2 nations currently posses, and in the future will at most rise to 3 or 4.
Alongside the De Gaulle is the Amphibious Assault Ship Mistral Class
A 20,000 tonne class of ship, it allows for versatility in the assault of a beachhead or aid to a nation in need. 3 ships of the class are in the French Navy.
Subsurface force
Barracuda Class
The French attack submarine force consists of 6 vessels, 5 Rubin Class and 1 Barracuda class, with the former being half the size of the latter. Their nuclear deterrent force consists of 4 Triomphant class ballistic missile submarines.
Auxillary fleet
The French Auxillary fleet consists of (127,850 tonnes) 37 auxillary vessels to support the navy one way or another.
Durance Class
Royal Navy
Surface Combatants
6 vessels
HMS Dragon in the background
The Royal Navy combatant surface fleet consists of two vessels classes. The Type 45 Daring Class air defence destroyer seen above, and the Type 23 Duke Class anti submarine frigate as seen below.
13 vessels
The Daring class is Britain's premier air defence asset, and is the result of the RN efforts to create a vessel after leaving the Horizon class, and as such is considered among the best air defence boats in existence. This hyper specialization however means that the Type 45 has limited anti ship and no anti submarine capability.
The Type 23 has served that role, being considered one of the best anti submarine platforms afloat, although good at patrolling again not as flexible in anti ship or air capability as her peers.
The Type 23 is to be replaced by the new Type 26, which will take on the mantle of anti submarine warfare, but also will perform other tasks such as anti ship and general purpose to a limited degree. It is much larger than the duke Class will compliment the Type 45 in carrier strike Groups.
HMS Glasgow under construction
The RN also operates 42 patrol, survey, and mine countermeasure vessels.
Carrier
2 boats, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales
The Royal Navy was in a real pickle for the 2010’s and really since they retired HMS Ark Royal in 1982. The Invincible Class were no more capable than one of the USN's helicopter carriers. This has been resolved in the QE Class with 2 65,000 tonne “Supercarriers", though that term is disputed. The carry F-35 stealth jets and operate a high sortie rate. The ship is also very modern and spacious, ready for growth.
Britain also has a landing dock platform for limited assault operations. The Albion Class
They do not match the Mistral in capability, and since HMS Ocean was retired in 2018 the Amphibious Assault responsibility has been split between the Albion and Queen Elizabeth Class, where most of Oceans assets transferred too.
Submarine force
The RN has 6 nuclear attack submarines, 2 of which are the old Trafalgar class, and 4 are the new Astute class, with a 5th undergoing sea trials. The are the product of the nuclear submarine technology sharing treaty between the US and UK, and are among the best in the world.
The Vanguard class ballistic missile submarine is Britain's only form nuclear deterrent, and so it is also among the best and a product of the sharing program.
HMS Vanguard
The class already has a replacement under construction, HMS Dreadnaught. No Publix images are yet available so here's a render.
Edit: infographic update on the dreadnought design
Auxillary fleet
The Royal Fleet Auxillary (373,000 tonnes) is considered separate from the Royal Navy, and operates alongside.
Tide class, HMS Tidespring
Objectively the RFA is much larger with a more modern ships, and so is deemed more capable overall.
Comparison
Each navy operates according to it's doctrine and needs. Both nations create some of the finest military vessels in existence. However it is in my opinion that the Royal Navy is more capable, due to its larger and more streamlined navy, it has more capable destroyers, and the new generation of vessels although not necessarily more advanced, will be more capable than their French counterparts. The French has cornered the market for general/multi purpose frigates, though, with the FREMM and FDI proving to be world class designs.
One area that I have to say the British are superior objectively in is submarines. They have far superior vessels and much larger ones. This matters in a high intensity conflict.
I must be clear that I am half British and although I try to be unbiased, my view nevertheless will fall in favour of Britain. Any constructive criticism is welcome.
We must remember however that these nations are no longer enemies, but key allies that support each other during war, and in doing so knowing that the enemy won't see two rivals, but this. Allies working together.