Here’s Where the Aircraft Carrier Is Heading

When you think of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the US Navy’s largest, world-class fleet is the first thing that comes to mind, and the United States is joined by only one other country when it comes to global users of nuclear-powered carriers. That country is France, which has a single nuclear-powered floating air base, manned by Charles De Gaulle.

The French airline has served in support of several conflicts in the Middle East over the years, and now it is being sent to the battlefield again as it heads to the Mediterranean to help protect French allied assets amid ongoing American and Israeli-led operations against Iran.

The deployment of Charles De Gaulle represents an important move for France, which was initially intended not to be directly involved in the attacks of the US and Israel. However, since Iranian drone strikes have targeted French assets in the region, as well as military bases and allied cities, French President Emmanuel Macron has changed his mind, ordering an aircraft carrier and other French military assets in the conflict to protect the country’s interests.

When the carrier Charles de Gaulle was commissioned in 2001, it was a huge moment not only for the French Navy, but for the world’s military power as the ship became the first – and to date, the only non-American nuclear aircraft carrier in the world. Between the years of 2000 and 2010, de Gaulle has been used to fight areas several times to serve France and its allies in the waters near Iraq, Libya, Syria, and other hot spots. As the jewel of the French Navy, the ship is expected to serve until the end of the 2030s, after which it will be replaced by a new carrier.

At the time of the strikes on Iran, Charles de Gaulle was involved in NATO training in the Baltic Sea, and France plans to maintain a defensive posture with its assets in the region. However, during the widespread attack, an Iranian drone attack, among other targets, damaged a hangar at a French military base in the United Arab Emirates and a British airbase on the island of Cyprus. In response to this attack on the bases of France and its strategic allies, Macron ordered Charles de Gaulle to enter the Eastern Mediterranean. The French President also said that through the European Union, France has binding defense agreements with several countries in the region that have been attacked, including the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait.

Although the Charles de Gaulle can carry up to 40 aircraft if needed, the carrier is currently configured to carry 20 Dassault Rafale twin-jet fighter aircraft, and two E-2C Hawkeye radar aircraft, all of which can be deployed to protect French bases and assets, as well as those of its allies, in the region. The carrier will not install the Med itself. The strike group to the region will also include French air defense aircraft and destroyers, which will provide continued support in clearing the skies of Iranian drones.

Meanwhile, the United States Navy, currently has two strike groups already in the region, directly involved in the attack on Iran, designated as Operation Epic Fury. Although France remains adamant that there should be negotiations to end the attack, with these measures, President Macron has shown France’s commitment to defend itself and its allies with strength.

Besides the important military move to transport Charles De Gaulle and his entourage to the Mediterranean, Macron also confirmed that other French military assets will be directed to the region, including air defense and radar systems to help combat drone attacks, and additional Rafale fighters at French bases in the United Arab Emirates.