Charles de Gaulle strike group heads to Western Pacific via Red Sea

FS Charles de Gaulle underway on five-month deployment mission ‘Clemenceau 2025', seen in Toulon on 28 November 2024. (Guy Toremans)

France's Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CSG), also referred to as the GAN (Groupe AéroNaval) or TF473, set sail from Toulon on 28 November for a five-month deployment – codenamed mission ‘Clemenceau 2025'.

The deployment will see the GAN go to the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Western Pacific.

Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard, commander of the French Aeromaritime Rapid Reaction Force (FRSTRIKEFOR) embarked onboard the FS Charles de Gaulle , is in at-sea command.

The carrier is accompanied by the French Navy's Horizon-type air-defence destroyer FS Forbin , the Aquitaine-class anti-submarine frigate FS Provence , the Aquitaine-class air-defence frigate FS Alsace , one of the new Suffren-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (likely FS Duguay-Trouin ), the logistics support ship FS Jacques Chevallier , a Loire-class offshore support ship, and the Italian FREMM frigate ITS Virginio Fasan .

Off Toulon, the FS Charles de Gaulle recovered its embarked air wing, made up of 22 Rafale Ms from the 12F and 17F flotillas, two E-2C Hawkeye tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from the 4F flotilla, two Dauphin AS365 ‘Pedro' helicopters from the 35F, and a Caïman Marine helicopter from the 31F flotillas.

The GAN is also to be supported by an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), which will be temporarily stationed at support points ashore along the task force's route.

Throughout the deployment, units from various navies will be linking up temporarily with the CSG, along with other French Navy ships already operating along its route.