NATO Ally Sails Aircraft Carrier to Asia

A French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has reached Asia, the NATO member state’s military announced on Monday, where it will be dispatched to the Pacific Ocean. Why It Matters The Charles de Gaulle, which is leading a naval strike group on a five-month mission, will be the first French aircraft carrier to be deployed to the Pacific Ocean since 1968. The group also includes nuclear-powered submarines, frigates, supply ships and carrier-based fighter jets. The deployment comes as France’s NATO ally, the United States, has deployed two aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific to maintain its naval dominance, where it continues to face challenges from China, which now has the largest fleet of warships in the world. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. What To Know In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the French military revealed that the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group, which departed from the port of Toulon on the French Mediterranean coast in late November, was now underway in the Indian Ocean with India in its sights. ?Océan Indien | #CLEMENCEAU25 Le groupe aéronaval (GAN) navigue désormais dans l’océan Indien avec l’Inde en ligne de mire ! ?? Sa présence dans cette zone stratégique démontre l’engagement de la ?? pour un espace indopacifique libre, ouvert et stable aux côtés de nos… pic.twitter.com/2Wy8KJiRCx — Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) December 30, 2024 This indicated the strike group had passed through the contested Red Sea—where U.S. forces, including an aircraft carrier, have been engaged in operations to counter Houthi rebels in Yemen—as it transited from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. The French military on Tuesday posted a video showing the aircraft carrier navigating the Suez Canal in Egypt last week. It reiterated that Paris has been committed to securing the Indian Ocean’s choke points: the Suez Canal, Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. France has protected freedom of navigation and prevented potential crises through the regular deployment of its naval ships, contributing to regional stability, the post added. Last week, @french_CSG crossed the Suez Canal, entering in #ALINDIEN COMFORFFEAU area of responsibility pic.twitter.com/DDcoj4k4qc — FFEAU.ALINDIEN (@FFEAU_ALINDIEN) December 31, 2024 The French naval group will join two war games in the Indian Ocean before sailing toward the Pacific Ocean for another exercise. Some of its warships, but not the aircraft carrier, are scheduled to visit Japan’s southwestern islands between February and March 2025. The naval deployment will include training exercises with allies and partners and aims to protect France’s interests, the French navy said previously. What People Are Saying The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is seen in the Mediterranean Sea on November 28, 2024. The French military said on Monday that the carrier has reached the Indian Ocean. The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is seen in the Mediterranean Sea on November 28, 2024. The French military said on Monday that the carrier has reached the Indian Ocean. CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images The French General Staff of the Armed Forces: “[The carrier strike group’s] presence in this strategic area demonstrates the commitment of the French to a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific space alongside our partners.” French Forces in the United Arab Emirates and deployed in the Indian Ocean said in a post on X: “The French Carrier Strike Group enhances [France’s] capacity for independent situation assessment and [its] unique deployable intervention capabilities [are] widely recognized.” What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the Charles de Gaulle will join its American counterpart, USS Carl Vinson, in the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. aircraft carrier arrived at Port Klang in Malaysia on Sunday, while its sister ship, USS George Washington, remained in Japan.