They can be equally atrocious. For example, French air tankers are vintage 1962. The three other tankers bought in the 90's (KC-135) have a wooden floor, for f**ck sake.
The Pumas transport helicopters, still the bulk of ALAT, (vintage 1968) have no de-icing systems. Also still a lot of Gazelles with that very vulnerable bubble of plastic around the pilot and gunner.
Wrong on the Mirage 2000. AFAIK the balance has shifted in favor of the Rafale, some times ago. And every other type has been retired.
Then again, the British build the largest ship outside the U.S since, what Yamato, a 70 000 tons carrier, and yet they managed to do that without putting any catapult on it. What's the point of building such a big ship only for VSTOL aircrafts ? Including AEW helicopters, since E-2 needs catapults ?
Which doesn't mean the CdG isn't screwed either: putting nuclear subs engines on an aircraft carrier, just to save money, resulting in a ship slower and less powerful than the ships it replaced...
The Type 45 had its share of trouble, and so has the Astute.
I would say the French screw a little less as far as procurement goes, but are strangled by lack of funding whatever happens.
At the end of the day, Horizon or Type 45, they are both superb ships, extremely capable, but strangled by budget cutters.
