British papers poured cold water Wednesday on the idea a Franco-British defence deal was a sign of blossoming friendship, saying the weakened former foes would struggle to maintain their militaries alone.

As they seek to tighten their belts amid a wave of austerity sweeping across Europe, London and Paris were focused on practical considerations of ensuring their armed forces could operate properly, said commentators.

The rivals -- who fought for dominance for centuries in battles including Agincourt and Waterloo -- struck the deal Tuesday which included agreements to create a joint military force and share nuclear testing facilities.

But the Times warned the agreement would likely be seen as a sign of weakness as the countries struggle to keep pace with "new international powers."

"A defence agreement between France and the UK may be interpreted as an attempt by old powers to prop each other up in straitened times and with emerging threats," said the daily in an editorial.

London's Evening Standard newspaper added: "The new Anglo-French military agreement is an entente not so much cordiale as practical."

Budgetary constraints were of paramount importance in striking the deal as the European heavyweights fight to recover from the financial crisis, said commentators.

Writing in the left-leaning Guardian daily, Michael White pointed out that the signs of austerity were clear for all to see even as British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met to ink the deal.

"So poor are both countries now that the French did not even bring their own wine to celebrate the 'entente ruin�e'," he quipped.

"At one point the president actually thanked the PM for agreeing to install catapults on our new aircraft carriers. Catapults? Has it really come to this? Asterix the Gaul had catapults."

There were fears that cooperation between France and Britain might not be as easy to get off the ground as the two powers hoped.

In an editorial, the rightwing Telegraph warned of "the enterprise's shaky foundations."

"While these treaties might make sense at a tactical level, the strategic interests of the two countries are often very different," it said.

For many, neither of the countries had any choice but to pool their resources.

"The new treaty which has lead to the creation of the Anglo-French rapid reaction force doesn't just appear sensible -- it's clearly essential," wrote Sean Rayment in the Telegraph.

"Does anyone seriously think Britain is going to take part in any future war on its own?"

earlier related report
Britain, France sign vast military deals
London (UPI) Nov 3, 2010 - Britain and France signed extensive military cooperation deals that foresee aircraft carrier sharing, joint nuclear weapons testing and the coordinated development of high-tech weapons.

Valid for 50 years, the deals, signed Tuesday by British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in London, are aimed at retaining both countries' military power in times of shrinking defense budgets.

Sarkozy called the cooperation agreement "unprecedented," saying it showed "a level of trust never equaled in our history."

Both powers agreed to launch an Anglo-French joint expeditionary force of around 10,000 troops that could be deployed as soon as next year. They will also conduct joint nuclear weapons tests and promised to share their aircraft carriers.

Sarkozy and Cameron vowed, however, that each country would maintain its nuclear and naval sovereignty.

"Britain and France will be sovereign nations able to deploy our forces independently and in our national interest when we choose to do so," Cameron said.

Neither side will be obliged to dispatch its carrier, a regulation key to avoid awkward diplomatic crises, observers say.

France and Britain have differed before on military operations -- for example in the Falklands and in Iraq -- and teaming up militarily doesn't mean there won't be political disagreements.

Aside from operational cooperation, companies in both nations will be affected by the deals.

London and Paris agreed to fund assessment reports for a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone called MALE, with first products to be delivered between 2015 and 2020. They will also explore options on developing a joint fighter drone.

Britain's BAE Systems said it was in discussions with France's Dassault Aviation over cooperation on drone development, Defensenews.com reports.

France and Britain have laid out a 10-year strategic plan to enable efficiency savings in the complex weapons sector, which might lead to joint developments or even joint ventures.

Next year, the powers will launch joint projects to develop an anti-surface missile and assess where existing missile systems can be improved.

Potential additional cooperation could affect the nuclear submarine sector, training and spares support for the Airbus A400 military transport plane, satellite communications and naval mine countermeasure systems, Defensenews.com reports.

Eager to modernize its armed forces and rein in a massive national deficit, Britain recently announced it would cut defense spending by around 8 percent by 2015.

Even after the cuts, Britain and France will remain Europe's two largest military powers.