Leading the CLEMENCEAU 25 mission, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle of the French Navy entered the port of Goa, marking the start of its official visit to India. The ship arrived with the units that make up its strike group, including a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Suffren class.
Thanks to images released by the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command, the Charles de Gaulle and its embarked air wing can be seen, along with the units forming its escort and logistical support. These include a FREMM-class frigate, a nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Suffren class, and the supply ship Jacques Chevallier.
It is important to note that the Charles de Gaulle strike group consists of a Horizon-class air defense frigate, two FREMM frigates (for air defense and anti-submarine warfare), a nuclear-powered attack submarine, the aforementioned Jacques Chevallier, and a Loire-class support ship. The ships are complemented by the aircraft wing aboard the carrier, which includes at least twenty Rafale fighter-bombers, E-3C Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, and NH90 Caïman helicopters. From land, a maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2 will also support French naval operations.
The deployment of the Charles de Gaulle strike group aligns with France’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, an initiative that identified four objectives for the CLEMENCEAU 25 mission: “…first, contribute to national and European operations in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, aimed at enhancing maritime security in the region; develop interoperability with our partners and allies in the Indian Ocean, and also in the Pacific Ocean; promote, through this deployment, a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific space, with our regional partners under the framework of international law; and finally, contribute to the protection of our populations and interests in the Indo-Pacific region, where France is a coastal nation and must exercise its sovereignty over all its overseas territories…”.
Regarding the recent arrival of the strike group in Goa, the French Embassy in India highlighted that the Charles de Gaulle and its escort will carry out “…joint maneuvers with their regional partners and allies, particularly India, before moving to the Indonesian area for the La Perouse exercise and then to the Pacific Ocean for the Pacific Steller exercise…”.
The contribution of allied countries to the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the CLEMENCEAU 25 mission will materialize with the presence of ships within its escort element. The presence of units from the navies of Australia, Canada, the U.S., Greece, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Portugal, and the United Kingdom has been included and is expected.
“…During the CLEMENCEAU 25 mission, the Charles de Gaulle strike group and the Indian Navy ships will participate in the 42nd annual bilateral Varuna exercise. The goal of this naval training is to develop interoperability between our two navies and prepare crews to address a multidimensional threat (air, surface, submarine) as part of a coalition…” added the French Embassy in its statement.
Cover image for illustrative purposes. Credits: Marine Nationale.
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