Royal Navy warship HMS Defender will support the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle when she deploys to tackle IS. The ship will provide air defence cover for the French carrier.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
“France is firmly resolved in its determination to tackle ISIL and we need to help too. This barbaric terrorist organisation must be destroyed and it’s right that we offer all the support we can to confront them.
We will continue our own advanced surveillance and strike missions against ISIL. They are a threat to our security in the UK, as well as to France and the rest of Europe. We will consider any further requests for support from France under Article 42.7 of the EU Treaty following Friday’s Paris terror attacks.”
HMS Defender sailed from Portsmouth last month for a nine-month deployment under the command of Commander Stephen Higham.
Good effort, my ATC Sqn was lucky enough to visit her in July while she was working up.
At least we’re doing something.. But what airborne Isis threats are we protecting them from?
Not Isis threats per-se but all the completely unexpected threats that might occur during the transit and deployment. Aircraft carriers are such hugely expensive and symbolic pieces of equipment, especially when a navy only has one, that standard operating procedure is for them to be accompanied by a whole host of defensive assets. I’m sure that when ours are up and running they will be accompanied by a full carrier group of air and sub defence even if only going to attend the Governor of Bermuda’s annual tea party.
– Julian
It will be interesting if this is the case.
If they do operate both carriers at the same time and split them up, we are seriously going to struggle to form an escort with the limited number of destroyers we have. I wonder where we are going to find escort vessels, if france already needs support to escort theirs.