My first question is mission. Does France want something to police the Empire and project power versus such lesser opponents or does it require something to control the ocean in a battle against another major power fleet? Does this dovetail into a NATO fleet or be purely independent?
I can argue that a V/STOL Carrier might be a good compromise for France as it was for the UK. It gives you air power, albeit not as fully capable, near anywhere you can steam the task group into range. Falklands is a great example of how just a little air power was worth it. If France only really needs something to keep Bears off its ASW work in the Atlantic or drop some iron on the natives in a limited banana dust up then why not follow the UK lead? It fits a NATO mission with utility in projecting independent French power, a win-win to France.
Would the added emphasis on V/STOL aircraft pushed the UK and France closer, or drawn Dornier into a greater role in the field? Could that have given the European aerospace industry the lead in the field such that the now F35 was a European led counter part to our F22 project? Would the defense side look more like Boeing versus Airbus? Plus export potential for this niche war ship class.
Many worms fall out of this can.
France may very well go for a mixed fleet - the two Clemenceaus (started in 1955, laid down in 1958, in service by 1962-64)
There was the old Arromanches used as a training carrier and helicopter carrier before it was retired in 1975, and of course the Jeanne d'Arc.
The French Navy loved old
Arromanches because it was a versatile platform and hence in 1972 the
PH-75 project got started to replace it - kind of French Invincible-class helocarriers that could certainly have flown Harriers from its deck.
The PH-75 was a nuclear-powered ship which ballooned into a Clemenceau-successor that become the Charles de Gaulle carrier, but initially it was to have
conventional machinery from
the F-67 frigates
So here's my take at French Harriers
- in 1974 the French Navy buy them as ground attack aircrafts to replace the Etendard IV, so no Super Etendard. Although (at first glance) you would need to thrown Dassault under a bus to achieve that, the French Navy had in fact slightly more independance than the AdA vis-a-vis Dassault - they bought Crusaders in 1963, and A-4s, A-7s were considered to replace the Etendards IV in 1972 (beside the much maligned Jaguar M)
Big advantage for Harriers: they can land on
the Jeanne d'Arc, Arromanches, and Arromanches planned successor, the
PH-75. It is very possible that the French Navy buys a ship like the Invincible, or the Ocean helocarrier derivative.
The French Navy badly wanted a three-carrier fleet and the scrapping of Arromanches in 1974 was badly felt.
The French Harriers won't be Sea Harriers as per the RN, because we had Crusaders for the interceptor role.
I think the French Navy would be happy with the RAF Harrier Mk.3 provided they could drop Exocets (but the Sea Harriers carried Sea Eagle ASMs) and AN-52s (again Sea Harriers carried the WE-177, so no issue either)