France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean as part of a wider French naval response to rising tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran.

The carrier and its accompanying strike group were directed south after the situation in the Middle East escalated, with Paris seeking to reinforce European security and contribute to the protection of maritime traffic in the region. The deployment forms part of a wider French naval presence that includes additional frigates and support vessels operating across the Mediterranean and Red Sea. France has also indicated that naval forces may support efforts to safeguard commercial shipping routes if the situation deteriorates further.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the naval deployments are intended to help maintain maritime security and stability as tensions have increased across the region. The move followed growing concern about threats to shipping and regional infrastructure, including a recent drone strike on Cyprus which prompted European governments to review security arrangements in the eastern Mediterranean.

Operating from international waters, the carrier provides France with the ability to deploy combat aircraft and surveillance assets without relying on land bases. Aircraft embarked on the ship can conduct air defence patrols, reconnaissance missions and strike operations while supporting allied naval forces in the area.

Commissioned in 2001, Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy and the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in service outside the United States Navy. The vessel measures around 261 metres in length and displaces roughly 42,000 tonnes at full load. Nuclear propulsion allows the ship to operate for extended periods without refuelling, giving it significant endurance and operational reach.

The carrier can embark an air wing of up to around 40 aircraft, typically centred on Rafale M multirole fighter jets supported by E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and naval helicopters. The ship uses a catapult-assisted take-off and arrested recovery (CATOBAR) system with steam catapults and arrestor wires, allowing conventional fixed-wing aircraft to operate from the flight deck.

Defensively, the carrier is equipped with Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles, Mistral short-range missile systems and close-in guns designed to counter aircraft and missile threats. Sensors and electronic warfare systems provide air search and tracking capabilities as part of a layered defensive network alongside the ship’s escorts.

Like most aircraft carriers, the vessel normally operates as the centrepiece of a wider carrier strike group. This typically includes air defence and anti-submarine frigates, a nuclear-powered attack submarine and support ships, forming a task group capable of sustained maritime and air operations.

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178 COMMENTS

  1. Worth to note that 19 out of 23 major surface vessels of the French marine have been deployed either to the Med or to the strait of Hormuz

          • They have over 20 escort vessels, the UK only 14, not to mention those available. They make quite good use of their single aircraft carrier, and better than the UK. They have reasonable amphibious forces, unlike the UK with only three Bay-class vessels. Like it or not, they are the leading military power in Europe. This far-left government and the previous one were more concerned with disarming Great Britain, and they are succeeding. There are hardly any escort vessels available, and the RAF has only 140 fighter jets while France has approximately 250. That’s the way it is.

            • In what world is the current government far-left? They basically just picked up from where the Tories left off but with a little bit more financial sensibility.

              • Is financial prudence simply about removing and scrapping equipment and not ordering a single new ship, plane, or tank since they came to power?

                • They haven’t done so because we’re broke as a nation. Around £80 billion more was spent by the government between 2024 and 2025, borrowing costs are skyrocketing. Every time they try to raise money the right-wing press kick up a fuss and half the time labour end up backtracking. I want more to be spent on defence too but isn’t there already a £20 billion blackhole in the MOD budget and that’s just to get things we’ve already ordered, a hell of a lot more would be needed to get more weapon systems. Not to mention our procurement system clearly isn’t fit for purpose.

                  • Is there a black hole in the NHS orGB energy or any other govt department budgets?
                    Plenty of money being chucked at all sorts of things other than defence! Any other budget restrained by fixed % of GDP?

                    • According to Google the NHS had a £1 billion pound deficit the previous tax year, I imagine most departments probably do. Defence is obviously a difficult one because it takes years/decades and billions of pounds to get anything meaningful. There is “plenty of money” but it’s being spent on things like topping up pensions, debt interest and universal credit. What little is left is spent trying to make the UK more productive.

                  • The last term that can be applied to this government is ‘financial sensibility’.

                    They have raised money from completely the wrong areas and wasted even more on even worse areas.

                    This government has no interest in defence despite the state of the world.

                  • We’re not Broke… We just choose to waste money instead of spend it wisely or upset voting blocs by taking the money away from them and forcing the lazy benefit scroungers back into work as they’ve no income otherwise.

                    • Well we do spend 200million plus per day just on the interest for the debt we owe so technically we probably are somewhat broke, considering inflation and rising interest rates that figure will no doubt get close to 300million very soon which is an utterly insane amount of money effectively wasted, daily.

                      Yes agreed, the welfare figure this idiotic government are quoting is not even close to reality. Its a snowball happening as people watch and just to buy votes with some stupid hope of remaining in power by the next election.

              • Of course it’s far left – Starmer was in Corbyn’s corner when he was leader, and it’s obvious from every action they have done since coming to power.

                Only a Michael Foot government in the 80s would have been further left than the losers we have in charge now.

                • Right… trying to scrap winter allowance, keeping the 2 child benefit policy, cutting the international aid budget, tightening trans rights, increasing the defence budget (although fairly slowly)… these are definitely far left policies right? Or maybe you’ve just been reading propaganda. The reason why Starmer is so low in the polls is because the right think he’s left wing and the left think he’s right wing, so he’s pleasing no one (except maybe centrists).

                  • Scrapping the winter allowance was purely to be wasted on the welfare idiotic policies they have brought in. Removing the 2 child policy is one of the most stupid decisions of any government we have had and they simply are incapable of working out the actual costs of doing it, additional unbudgeted expenses will starting piling up in the 1-3 years bracket adding more financial pressure. Most of the international aid budget as a single recipient is currently spent on international people residing illegally in this country, another expense that could be resolved with any political will to do so.

              • More financial sensibilty? Where have you been for the last 20 months? Maybe Dubai or are you working for Labour Central Office?

                • Right… saying your going to create a type 32 then reserving no funding for it was obviously so much more sensible. How about cutting the department that processes asylum seekers so there’s such a big backlog that we’ve had to house them in hotels? How about the Tories offering tax cuts during the last election despite the fact they’ve doubled our nation’s debt in just over a decade?

                  • People who know me on this site are aware that I have critised the Tories every bit as much as Labour.. We haven’t had a “sensible” government for decades. I was just amazed that you thought that Labour were doing well. We have had an SDR whic has proved to be, as many are, meaningless; the D.I.P. which may never be published; cuts and delays to the existing infrastructure; fighting between Starmer and Reeves whilst a totally ineffectual Healey looks on and no oreders, apart from a panic with the MLH when Leonardo threatened exposure. Not ggod government by anybodies standards.

                    • I at no point said the Labour government were doing a good job, just that they are slightly better than the conservative government (excluding defence).

            • They only have 11 escorts with VLS SAM cells: the 2 Horizon-class, 8 FREMM, and the first FDI. The 5 La Fayettes now only have point defence, and the 6 Floréals have no air defence or anti-ship capability at all; they’re used in the same role as the RN’s Batch 2 Rivers. That said, the Marine Nationale’s availability rate is impressive. One stat that’s not so impressive for the French is the number of VLS SAM cells on the future Royal Navy and Marine Nationale escort fleets.

              Future British and French escort fleets comparison:
              (just air defence missiles, not including land attack or anti ship missiles)

              Royal Navy
              6 Type 45s with 72 Aster 30 & Sea Ceptor missiles = 432
              8 Type 26 with 48 Sea Ceptor missiles = 384
              5 Type 31 with 32 Sea Ceptor = 160
              Total 976 medium to long-range SAMs

              Marine Nationale
              2 x Horizon with 48 Aster 15/30 = 96
              6 x FREMM ASW with 16 Aster 15 = 96
              2 x FREMM air defence variant 32 Aster 15/30 = 64
              3 x FDI with 16 Aster 15/30 = 48
              2 x FDI with 32 Aster 15/30 = 64
              Total 368 medium to long-range SAMs

              So 976 vs 368, the obvious conclusion is the French fleet will be far weaker in air defence.

            • No they don’t they have 10 top end escorts in commission… 2 horizon class destroyers 8 FREMMs frigates added to that they have 5 La Fayette class frigates, and Fayettes are corvette level ships with no meangfull air defence capability..

              You cannot class the Floreal class frigates as anything other than patrol boats

        • Don’t think it matters how long they can keep it up, it’s more about sending a message. Mission accomplished, huge diplomatic victory for France

          • You do realise we have a carrier sharing agreement with France right so that one of us has a carrier available at all times? That’s specifically why CDG is in the eastern Mediterranean and PoW is in port on 5 day readiness preparing to go to the North to guard Europes Northern flank.

            It’s also worth pointing out that the CDG only has two French escorts with her.

            People on this forum were s**ting bricks when PoW left port with just two British escorts on a peace time mission and part of the reason CDG can deploy to the eastern Med with two escorts is that she is being joined by a British AAW and Greek frigate.

            Indeed this is all an example of exactly how the system should work in cooperation with our new closest allies France who is also deploying aircraft to Akritoni just like us.

            • FYI French Navy has 8 frigates (2 Horizon, 4 Fremm, 2 FLF) deployed in the eastern Med and Red Sea currently

              the CSG has officially 2 french escorts now because NL and Spain have each provided a frigate on that deployement, so French Navy does not need to assign more french frigates for the CSG

              • It’s a profoundly impressive deployment but La Royale is going to be doing very little of anything for the rest of the year after this.. it’s 100% of its AAW destroyers, 50% of its FREMMs, 40% of its LF, 100% of its carriers and 66% of its amphibious vessels… La Royale is having one hell if a night out but it’s going to suffer a serious hang over after…so we had better hope Trump does not invade Greenland or Putin do something Putin like..

                I don’t disagree with the show of strength.. but it’s got risk attached to it..

                • FYI all French Navy frigates have double.crews and average 80% rates.

                  What this deplyement shows is that France needs more hulls, because this is only crisis and not a war, which involves losses, damages, etc… and right now the ports of Toulon and Brest are barren, except for some ships in maintenance.

                  I hope that french politicians finally take seriously the need for a fleet of 25 frontline frigates and a 2nd aircraft carrier (CdG is due for an 18 months overhaul in the near future). More french politicians have already been advocating for this especially since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and last year the french defense minister already increased frigate numbers with an additional 3 FDI. This will be a fleet of 18 frigates, but still short of pre-2000 fleet requirements that was slashed by Sarkozy (PA2 cancelled, reduction of Fremm 17 ->8 and Horizon 4 ->2).
                  There is also debate for a 2nd PANG, but that decision is not due until 2029.

                  • Yep but they are all going to have post deployment maintenance at about the same time..which will leave a sticky time.

                    Agree on the frigate numbers France is a bit to unbalanced in different ways to the RN…

                    The LFs are just not adequate as frigates. Good constabulary vessels for the spreed out french global EEZ.. but not as escorts so it’s good they are being replaced by the FDIs.. it’s good to hear they are going for an extra 3 FDIs.. 18 first rank frigates is probably the minimum needed.. the FDIs are a good opportunity maybe they should take them to 10 for 20 first rank frigates.

                    The la Royale should definitely have a second PANG, as long as it does not kill the escort fleet numbers.

            • I’m sorry Jim, but you are doing your damndest to defend this government. France has sent a carreit, two LPH’s and eight frigates. We might manage one destroyer sometime next week if dithering Starmer ever makes a decsion.

            • You are talking to bots, political point scorers and idiots, this forums comments section stopped being honest conversation years ago.

          • The idea of this government being far left is very funny. Let’s see what the overdue Defence Investment actually says. It should have been public long ago, but I can understand the reasoning for the delay… there’s a lot of ducks to be got in a lot of rows. The pubic still haven’t got the perilous situation the West is in, we’ve been taught to be optimistic for a generation and half, so what can go wrong? It’ll all be fine!
            So, the French…What is it the’ve have done? We’re shooting down drones, we have a large carrier called Cyprus. We have Typhoon, Lightning, Shadow, Voyager and Atlas aircraft and Protector drones all flying as I write. We have troops shooting down drones. HMS Dragon is back-up at the moment, unless things go even more pear-shaped. But seriously, well done getting to sea in 6 days. Amazing. And good to know it’s on its way. I don’t think PoW is going to the Med just yet… but maybe.
            There’s no embarrassment unless you think power is only about show. Politics is about show, power is something else. Real power is being able to not react to loud mouths shooting off, and biding your time.
            Combat ships are not particularly needed just now. Lyme Bay is about humanitarian aid, and that’s something else.
            We don’t want to be joining in this war. America is bound to win the fight, all on its own. But will it win the war? That’s another question… I am not hopeful after Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq… There’s a pattern!
            With all those drones fired one got through to Akrotiri, well, why are we surprised? It’s what happens in war. There’ll be more, no matter how good our defences, if the Iranian and their allies can still launch them in numbers.

            • Utter nonsense,it’s clearly a badly run,far left government
              Starmer is a control freak that’s more concerned about offending a certain, rapidly growing cult.

              • Your Maj, if I may, …I remember Harold Wilson 1960/70s, now that was a tad left, and makes Starmer look a bit right of centre… which is what all the lefties think, of course! Labour has stolen a lot of centre Tory policy. Whether or not it’s badly run.. well that’s another question. There have certainly been some moments… I tend to let governments have a good couple of years before I judge.. real life doesn’t move as fast as politicians and pundits would like. And with the multinationals… and a very few unbelievably wealthy individuals… really in control of world money movements governments of all persuasions are surprisingly ham-strung in what they can do. And then add in the fact that no one wants to pay for anything other than holidays…. That’s why politicians (again of all parties) get in to bed (!) with the likes of Epstein, Musk and Bezos because they pull all the strings. I knew 50 years ago that that Western society would go the way of all other Empires… down the pan. But I didn’t want to believe it. It’s happening right in front of us. I HAVE believed it for a decade or two! Who could have imagined the 21sr century when I was a teenager? It was all supposed to be wonderful. That’s the ‘joy’ of being old(ish). To quote a distinguished historian, “The Vandals have been governing us for some time”. He wrote that over 30 years ago!

          • Why? Not disagreeing, just saying that saying somethingis wrong without expanding on it isn’t very helpful.

            • “But then again no one is expecting this war to last too long”

              All the experts are saying this is far from over. The only person saying it won’t last long is Trump, because TACO man is looking for an off-ramp now that the economic consequences of his actions are destroying what little chance the GOP had in the midterms. Which is why the war objectives change from hour to hour, as they realise Iran won’t bend the knee like Venezuela did.

              • I have worked for French aerospace and defence companies since the 1990’s and you’ll be amazed how many times they have been written off for the reasons you state, yet they still show up with a better industry, better quality of life and a better military. Oh, and if it wasn’t for the French pursuing their own national interest, there would be no Airbus, no independent fighter production (Rafale), no independent nuclear deterrent (M52 ballistic missile), no European space programme…I could go on…

                  • The defense industry is a money generator, not what is bankrupting France. In fact, this is the only reason why a program like the Rafale or FCAS is realistic to be undertaken alone. Yes, it costs a lot, but it generates much more than it costs for the economy, making it very interesting economically in the long run compared to a vampiric cooperation.

                    • French generally produce stuff with export in mind, part of the their future fighter conflict is it is will be too high end for export to rest of world possibly.

              • Republicans have pulled even with the Democrats in the latest Congressional mid-term poll. Donald Trump holds a +13 approval rating for his handling of the Iran War.

                • Not true! Trump approval rating on Iran attack is negative, that is more people (over 50% in most polls) disapprove of his attack on Iran than approve (under 50% in most polls). Google is your friend…even conservative Rassmussen polls show Trump under water when public asked about his attack on Iran.

                • Completely false.
                  In fact, it’s so far from the truth you just publicly humiliated yourself by posting such obvious lies.

                  • As I’ve stated before, I live in the reddest part of N. Georgia, there’s not much public support even in the MAGA base. There is also a Ranger camp here and privately they’re not too enthusiastic about this either. More time in the sand, 7 killed and north of 130 injured for what? I truly wonder who the pollsters are polling!

                    • Given how brazenly some will present falsehoods as facts; eg those “domestic terrorists” shot by ICE, I’m not surprised that people will invent poll figures too.

                      I’m quickly coming to the conclusion that Trump is becoming like Putin. Being presented by those around him with only the ‘facts’ they think he wants to hear. With the result he makes bonkers decisions that make no sense.

        • they can keep it up fairly long time since all French Navy frigates have double crews, this is why french frigates achieve 80% operational rates

          • An effort on maintenance has been done as well. We would be please to be their with our UK Friends, don’t get it wrong.

      • the french have this. now getting older ship and constantly use it. the u.k should lern from this and the more you do use it, the better you get at doing it.

      • Well, they’re not placing orders for any new ships other than those placed years ago. All they’ve done is retire ships. The RFA Argus, the Albion-class frigates, the MCMV, auxiliary vessels, etc., etc. Great Britain spends more money than France on defense, but gets considerably less in return. Where’s the money?

        • Ask about the ratio of senior officers to overall strength comparing France and UK. We are very top heavy.

          MOD is no longer fit for purpose. Too much focus on DEI etc and not enough on combat readiness.

          Senior Officers need to be held to account as well as politicians I suggest.

          • the french have this. now getting older ship and constantly use it. the u.k should lern from this and the more you do use it, the better you get at doing it.

        • From what I can make out it’s not what we’ve got, it’s what we’ve not got… as I’m sure everyone on here will agree (well not everyone, obviously, that would impossible!)

      • Two things, a power system issue with T45 which happens on a bleeding edge technology and an over optimism on the life extension capability of the type 23 hull.

        S**t like this happens all the time with navy’s all over the world including France and the USA but especially in Russia and China.

        It’s just few people take the time to study other navy’s and just assume we re s**t at everything because the Daily Mail told them so.

        It’s a crappy position to be in regarding escorts but solutions are in hand, the T45 PiP program is well under way and new frigates are being pumped out by two large naval facilities.

    • no that is not correct.
      while 19 of 23 major surface ships are deployed by the Marinee Nationale, that figure is for the world
      there are 12 ships are currently deployed in the Eastern Med and Red Sea -> 8 frigates + 1 aircraft carrier + 2 amphib LHD + 1 resupply ship (as well as 1 nuclear attack sub)

      • the french have this. now getting older ship and constantly use it. the u.k should lern from this and the more you do use it, the better you get at doing it.the whole methods that the french governments is in most areas better than the u.k its ships are generally available it is the number of destroyers that split the similarity between the u.k and french navy. i’m sick of hearing about the failings of the RN/MOD/TREASURY. MY IDEAS FOR IMPROVING THE SIXE AND CAPABILITY OF THE r.n. ARE TO LOOK INTO A TRADE OF BOTH ALBIONS TO EGYPT IN RETURN FOR ONE OF THEIR TWO MISTRALS, which would restore the capabilitieslost with the sale of ocean. next i’d cancel type 32 altogether and secure the transfer of 5 freedom class american lcs. the ships that have undergone the combining gear fix are now important parts of the carrier fleets. the americans are claiming to have achieved the MCM ISSUES. AQUIRE THESE SHIPS OR GET ONE AS A TRANSFER FREEBIE, WITH OPTION OF GETTING MORE AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. I DID A PAPER EXERCISE ON THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN TYPE 45 AND TYPE 26. THE TWO TYPES ARE MORE THAN SIMILAR IN SIZE,TONNAGE LENGTH AND OTHER AREAS TO CONVINCE ME THAT A RECONFIGURED TYPE 26, BUILT AS A DESTROYER WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO INSTEAD OF t83. or a batch2 type 45 with upgrades the drumbeat of the t26 programme is in place the kinka are fixed which makes for a better production rate. every other nation operates ships purchased from other navys, the u.k does’t. it ddoesn’t want the royal navy operating other nations cast offs pure snobbery. as for the silent service, triumph has only just been withdrawn from service, i’d give it to australia in return for theSIX Collins boat australians want to retire. the navy i served in for 22 years used to be a daring might do. couldo,will do organisation which was a warfighting entity and the expeditionary one that it has become.

    • Yes it’s great that enato has responded to sending ships to the med. Uk navy was found short, this due to decades of neglect both parties. Blaming current govt solely is just playing party politics. We must not forget the bear and stand strong in Atlantic n sea Baltic etc

  3. No need for a carrier,we are operating out of Akrotiri and bases in the gulf states! That is our contribution to the defence of the region.

      • Don’t be daft man, we should station expensive vulnerable aircraft carriers next to every RAF base all over the world. Got to show the airforce what for old chap 🧐

        Lest pull PoW of her patrol in the high north and stick here right next to CDG so we can show the French what a real carrier looks like what what 🤣

        • I say let the French position their vulnerable expensive carrier next to an RAF base. It’ll mean there’s somewhere they can fly their jets off to should it be sunk 😏

      • If oil prices remain high, big pressure on trump to call it a win and leave. I did think his wishful game plan may have been to keep bombing until Iran civilians rise up. We can see there is little planning for after day 1, except piss on western allies and see most of Middle East get bombed by Iran. We would all love Iran regime to fall but the Iran people would have to do it.

        • Trump has opened u.s drilling for oil it’s producing more now oil prices going high is going to make many Americans rich and is going to bring loads of new jobs to the USA don’t count America out they are a very productive people

        • 100% correct, it’s clear Trump is looking for an off-ramp by claiming the “the war is mostly won”. At least in his moments of lucidity, his dementia is clearly getting worse.

          It’s always far better to let the people throw off their own shackles, look how communist regimes fell across Europe in the early 1990s.

          • The only trouble as I see it with that in Iran is that as a Religious based ‘Government’ the fervour they exhibit in controlling the population especially when supressing those that dare to protest against them shows that they have no qualms with killing great swathes of their population uin order to continue to rule as they have done for 45 years. I just don’t see that any revolution will succeed without external forces being involved. Whether that’s Trump, of course , is another matter entirely , but without external involvement there is no chance of any internal group taking control in Iran.

            • but the great satan killed their leader, it plays right into their narrative. we can’t impose western democracy

            • Stalin and Communism killed more of the USSR’s population than Iran ever has, and yet it eventually collapsed.

      • Didn’t you know,Cyprus is a nice warm cuddly safe country,it’s not on the edge of a war zone at all is it?
        In this instance as has been discussed IF our glorious international lawyer of a PM had listened to the experts there would have been an AD destroyer there before the first bombs dropped!but he didn’t want to look to aggressive and upset the Iranians.(or his Muslim voters)

    • How many fifth generation aircraft are onboard the CDG? How many 5th gen aircraft in the world are capable of operating of CDG? Only 5 US carriers have F35C capability so the QE’s represents 30% of the global 5th gen large carrier capacity in the world.

      If you are really worried about having another fixed wing aircraft on the QE class you will find the sword fish is more than capable 😀

    • Why are you trolling? Fair play to the French. Strategically independent of the USA and a better military capability with an indigenous industry supported by government orders to back it up. That’s also why after the USA, France are the second highest exporters of military goods.

      • All the drones downed en route to Cyprus were shot down by British forces. So the French are posturing, hence Macron’s photo opportunity on Cyprus. Or was he hand-delivering orders for the captain of the CDG?

        Fair play to the French, a national debt that makes ours look reasonable by comparison and a pension timebomb that will only make it worse. 👏🏻

        • Ah i never thought i would find a butthurt commenter here actually crying over an ally sending troops to protect a country and british soldiers and yet here we are

        • again more BS from the same troll
          France has fighters in UAE and Jordan that have been providing air defense. plenty more attacks directed at UAE than any other arab nation in the region. Cyprus has been quiet by comparisson
          keep coping

      • Spock isn’t Trolling, he’s actually spot on.
        I thought it pretty obvious.
        Optics matter in the world of geopolitics, the RN is on the floor, and low and behold France, ever eager to be a leading European nation ( rightly ) seized the opportunity.
        Germany and the UK, and maybe Italy are other leading nations and should act similarly, though Germany is restrained by understandable sensitivities after WW2 and the UK by the sheer bloody Incompetence of our political class over decades. Though we are trying to get our foot on the door by trumpetting loudly how we are defending Jordan and Bahrain with Typhoon.
        I don’t blame France or Macron at all, God, look at how often HMG grandstand, for right and wrong.

        • Yup, for me it looks like the French gloating over having managed their Navy so much better than we have. It isn’t even directed at the UK, just them pointing out that at the moment they are the most capable military in Europe and that as a result they should be the geopolitical leader.
          Sea Blindness in the UK is a travesty as has been continuously pointed out, the ME wars have a lot to answer for.

          • Daniella and Spock, both righttrash retards; actually probably the same person, a fat stupid Incel stuck in Mummy’s basement pretending to be a macho expert . Pete Kegsbreath is his hero 🤡🤣

    • you are posturing
      France has 8 frigates, 1 carrier, 2 amphib LHD, 1 SSN currently deployed in the eastern Med and Red Sea
      secondly France has air bases in Jordan, UAE and Djibouti to cover all the Middle East
      some do in the real world while others rant on the internet

        • lol France has been downing drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the Red Sea and Middle East for the past couple of years
          France did it last year when Iran was launching volleys of strikes against Israel from their air base in Jordan,
          France has been doing it continously for the last 2 years continuously in the Red Sea as part of mission Aspides
          France is currently doing it from air bases in Jordan and UAE (by the way UAE is getting the brunt of the iranian strikes)
          you’re so ignorant it’s laughable

          • The drones that the French are downing aren’t attacking Cyprus, and the aircraft they are using are not flying from the CDG. Which is what the article is about.

            But you seem incapable of these differentiations or just too disingenuous to care.

                • seriously? are any US carriers there? No US carriers are in the eastern med and indian ocean and manage to launch strikes over Iran.
                  Rafale has very good range and can be equipped with 5 drop tanks if needed and has the buddy air refuel system, not to memtion that France also has its own aerial refueling fleet
                  FYI CdG was doing operations over Afghanistan from the Indian Ocean

  6. In response to the inevitable cries of ‘why aren’t we sending a carrier?’: The PoW is supposed to be working up for a major deployment to the High North in order to boost NATO Arctic security and keep Mr Trump happy. The benefit of deploying a carrier to the Middle East in preference to just flying from Al Udeid or Akrotiri depends largely on what kind of sortie rate you feel the need to generate. The CdG has in fact never demonstrated a particularly good sortie generation rate, but then France has only one airbase in the Middle East, which is a small facility in UAE capable of hosting a maximum of six aircraft, i.e. without a carrier in the region they’re poorly equipped to deploy any amount of airpower at all.

      • That’s true, but I think it’s use is permitted by Jordan specifically for Operation Chammal (and presumably defending Jordan’s airspace).

    • again more nonesense. CdG can do over 100 sorties a day
      secondly France has 3 air bases in the region -> Jordan, UAE and Djibouti to cover all the Middle East
      keep coping

        • As I responded to you endless times in this same thread France has downed many drones, cruise missikls and ballistic missiles for the last 2 years in the region
          France is currently providing air defence in in UAE where more strikes are happening than anywhere else, as well as over Iraq from its air base in Jordan
          try harder

            • The carrier has just arrived on location and Cyprus has hardly been targetted, the bulk of the attacks are happening in the Gulf states, not even Israel anymore
              try to keep up

                • Spock and Daniella are the same person, a sad deluded wannabe “warfighter” that can’t even see his toes looking down 🤣

              • Let’s hope the French don’t need and heavy lift capability as we all know France comes begging to the uk when they need that

                • LOL another frustrated troll.
                  100% agree that the UK helped french deployment in Sahel in 2013 and France is grateful.
                  Let me remind you that France also provided continuous maritime patrol aircraft missions for the UK after Nimrod were retired and UK awaited P8 deliverries
                  How about french SSN that regularly deploy to Scotland to ensure clear passage for UK Vanguard subs departure on nuclear deternce missions while the Astutes are at dock awaiting maintenance or whatever. One french SSN was just there a few weeks ago and it wasn’t there for the haggis.
                  … and now France sending ships to provide help off the coast of Cyprus
                  It works both ways and instead of your trolling maybe a simple thank you will suffice

                • The poster just saw that I agreed with you on this and jumped on it.
                  He/it/she/ is a long term troll who’s been banned before, and hopefully will be again now I’ve reported this nonsense.
                  There used to be a flag icon to alert the mods but alas it was lost with comment history a few years ago.

                  • Is it such a radical concept on this site that two commentators can actually agree?? It’s a sad indictment if that is the case.

                    Must be said, the comment section is missing many features you’d expect to see on a forum.

        • Then eat your hat!
          Charles de Gaulle is designed to operate a max of 120 sorties per day.
          But I guess an expert such as yourself knows more than Naval Group and Marine Nationale 🥱

            • have you ever designed or operated a CATOBAR carrier from your troll basement?
              the 120 sorties rate is a requirement from the start. furthermore the ship has to be approved by the french DGA to make sure it meets all requirements before entering service.
              such a smartass. you know nothing, except hate of anything french. too bad for you

  7. Our main problem was notreacting quick enough to the US buildup. Sure, we don’t have enough surface vessels by a long way. Or land based AA assets. Main point – carriers and Type 45s wouldn’t be needed if we had enough ground based assets on station! This situation is a major wake up call for Starmer – just hope he doesn’t switch off the alarm and go back to sleep.

  8. I did read that the French Carrier has been diverted from planned NATO ops in the High North.
    So surging so much here means they’ll then need some downtime after?

    • Understandable France has retasked the carrier strike group to the eastern Med since there is a major crisis ie the Middle East is burning

      As for the high north NAATO ops, France has deployed the frigate FDI Ronarch as well as a Mistral (amphib LHD) and her FLF frigate escort to take part in Norway’s Arctic exercise Cold Response 2026

  9. The French Navy is surging, while the Royal Navy is struggling. Yes, the French deployment is not sustainable, however it shows massive visibility and power projection. The problem for the French will come in a few months when a high number of ships will all need maintenance at once. HOWEVER, the sheer fact they are able to do this in the first place shows that they are obviously managing this well. What’s the point in having 6 high end destroyers if you struggle to deploy 2 at the same time. Yes, we might be able to keep a presence in the Middle East for far longer, as when Dragon needs to come home, we can rotate another T45 in it’s place, but 1 ship doesn’t show any form of power or intent.

    Maybe the British win when it comes to combat power, purely due to the capabilities of the T45, but the French have it nailed when it comes to power projection and political influence.

    Sometimes you win a conflict by purely flooding an area with numbers. T45 is better when it comes to swarms, but it’s still only one ship…

    • Isn’t it what allies do? When the French ships inevitably go into maintenance, other countries step up to fill the void

    • Being able to deploy 2 at any one time is about what you should expect from a force of 6. But the T45s propulsion design was an almighty ****-up that required the hulls to be cut open to remedy. 2 of those 6 are still undergoing refit as a result, so really there’s only a force of 4 at the moment, in which case deploying 2 simultaneously is going to be a struggle. If we had invested in more dockyard capacity the whole process could presumably have been expedited.

    • not sustainable says you
      but that is not reality. All french frigates operate with double crews and the frigates average 80% operational rates over the year.

  10. A chart doing the rounds on SM, which shows starkly the collapse of the RN, courtesy of the Labour and Conservative parties, assisted by the Lib Dems from 2010.
    Year by year, Frigate orders.
    96. 3
    96. 0
    97. 0
    98. 0
    99. 0
    00. 0
    01. 0
    02. 0
    03. 0
    04. 0
    05. 0
    06. 0
    07. 0
    07. 0
    09. 0
    10. 0
    11. 0
    12. 0
    13. 0
    14. 0
    15. 0
    16. 0
    17. 3
    18. 0
    19 5
    20. 0
    21. 0
    22. 5
    23. 0
    24. 0
    25. 0
    26. 0
    The 3 in 96 were the last of 16 T23s.
    Some bright spark worked out it was 1979 when labour last ordered a Frigate.
    And at the present day, not one ship yet ordered that was not already planned.
    Now some of us now all this who study defence constantly, but it seems the penny is dropping elsewhere as well.
    War footing? Urgency? At pace? Warnings from HMG?
    Righto.
    Utter scum.

  11. Fake words fron the Mod and Government and sad state of our armed forces laid bare for the world to see. What will be done about iit s real question will it carry on.
    Are going to have empty statements and long winded rubbish from the Mod and government while in reality do nothing. Input up with our Armed forces being slammed as long there are improvements. The past CDS should hold their heads in shame at state of things under thier watches.
    Will the DIP solve it? no it can not but it might stop the rot. That will be the thing to watch hidden in endless double speak and rubbish will be some cuts and also some good news be interesting to see the balance of the two.

  12. Who cares; we are sending Lyme Bay. That will show these Frenchies. And just wait till we beat them at rugby. We are not finished yet….:-)

  13. From Sky , But now the MoD says RFA Lyme Bay is being prepared for deployment “for maritime tasks in the Eastern Mediterranean”. Is she not being scrapped or on the dispsal list?

      • Out of money how we not bought any thing, since 2024. Whyy does the French defence budget seem have more to show than ours yet we spend more? They have more thn us, sa bigger Army and air Force what on earth do we waste it all on?

        • Why does this all mean waste? There is no more waste here than in any other nation, I’m guessing.
          And the French… Well, no C17s, no Rivet Joint, no P8, or Wedgtail (or Protector?) … just duct tape on the Atlantique (OK, a but harsh but you get the point). And is Rafale as good as the Typhoon and Lighting double act? Sit back and what the reaction….

          • They have AWACs we do not, yet, but, we seem spend a lot and still bugger all works and spend more and have not ordered any new kit in 2 years apart from 23 helicoptors. Not saying waste just where does it all go? Our Army is joke, no SP tracked Arty, No gun based GBAD or long range GBAD, we have no AWAC’S, Ajax is nearly 10 years late, Our IFV can not fire on the move and is 40 years old.
            We do have some good kit but it always seems tiny in number and for ever broken. We have one working Attack Sub, We are being shamed around th world as nearly useless and un ready. Aside of that we have such small ammo stocks as still have not replaced what we gave to Ukraine. Its always the same o money, over budget, over spend, delayed kit, gapping roles, make do and mend its never ending, why?

          • Nations are buying rafales, 3 of the 4 nations that designed Typhoon don’t buy it anymore. So much duct tape that French subs clear british waters as rn can’t.

          • I guess it is also the mission focus that plays a bit: Rafale can do SEAD, Atlantic 3 can cover the ocean, E3C can cover the aircraft carrier, heavy tanks can be replaced by ground drones + explosives or air drones, so troup carriers are safer air defense can be covered by Samp/T and interception drones. The type of equipment procured and the cost to operate them matters. But we have capability gaps like Chinook, heavy air transport and very long range maritime patrol. DGA is assessing it and do with what we have. In some aspects, we rely on partners, especially UK. All in all, I guess UK would benefit a lot from increased investment in home engineering and a dedicated agency for procurment, just saying…

  14. Well, Hawkeye’s, for what they’re worth… better than crowsnest, no doubt!… but not Wedgetail standard and that seems to be arriving this year. The Maintenance hangars have just been opened at Lossie.. Can’t comment on army stuff as out of my pay grade. Is it a joke? that’s an opinion, even if well informed. The frustration is the “almost here” state of many programmes. And Ajax and so on are inexcusable. Ammunition supply does seem to be being addressed… again it all takes time to tool up, which is the fault of believing in the peace dividend long after it was clearly worthless. There is a huge amount happening on technology… drones, anti drones, laser weapons and so on, never mind cyber. Maybe we’re not comparing like for like? And we spend a huge proportion of defence money on the nuclear deterrent, which is now, actually a deterrent for the whole of Europe (OK the French have it too) Old warfare as In Ukraine just gets bogged down in a modern version of the Somme. You can bomb hell into a country and yet never quite get the result you want. Maybe the war winning stuff isn’t big guns and lots of bullets?

  15. There’s nothing to worry about, this government will find money to strengthen the armed forces by selling Gibraltar to Spain or the Falkland Islands to Argentina, and if money is lacking, one of the aircraft carriers will be sold to Brazil or Indonesia and problem solved.

  16. Doing what exactly? Making Macron feel tall for once? It’s all just posturing while praying the lunatic in White House gets bored and goes back to choosing the curtains for his new ballroom soon. Hopefully Ukraine will get some help from the Gulf states in return for a bit of advice on air defence but don’t hold your breath on that either.

  17. There is an awful lot of weener waving going on here yet still Iran carries on doing what the hell it likes and my heating oil price has doubled over night. Hegseth is a moron, Trump is a child in a suit so there is no need for Macron to join in the bullshit games. Whizzing around in a helicopter in his jeans, oh please! Starmer’s ONLY redeeming feature is he doesn’t seem to have a drip of testosterone in his body or he would strutting around on the apron at Akrotiri in his combats and brand new hi-viz.

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