FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91)
USS George H.W. Bush Operates with French, Italian Carriers in the Ionian Sea
From top clockwise ITS Cavour (CVH 550), FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)
U.S., French and Italian aircraft carriers operated together near Italy, the Navy announced on Wednesday.
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) joined with Italian carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) and the French carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91) for unspecified exercises in the Ionian Sea a week after the Pentagon announced five allied carriers would operate in Europe.
“We are stronger when we work together,...
5 Aircraft Carriers Set to Operate Together in Europe for NATO Exercise
From top left clockwise USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), ITS Cavour (CVH 550), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77)
U.S. aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) will exercise with aircraft carriers from France, Italy and the United Kingdom as part of a joint operation across Europe meant to show NATO interoperability, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
The two American carrier strike groups, their embarked air wings...
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Feb. 28, 2022
USNI News Graphic
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Feb. 28, 2022, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
Total U.S. Navy Battle Force:295Ships Underway
| Deployed Ships Underway | Non-deployed Ships Underway | Total Ships Underway |
| 68 | 27 | 95 |
Ships Deployed by Fleet
| Fleet Forces | 3r... |
French Fleet Beginning to Recover From Budget Turmoil Says Navy Chief
Adm. Pierre Vandier. French Navy Photo
The French Navy is only now starting to recover from 30 years of deep budget cuts that saw its fleet size halved, its senior admiral said Monday.
Adm. Pierre Vandier, chief of the French Navy since September 2020, said, it “now lacks certain naval assets [going into] the future” despite operational demands that it remains a global force.
Even with an uptick in defense spending, he added, “gaps will not be filled until 2029.” Vandier said that the 20-year plan...
French Navy Kicks Off Force-on-Force Drills in Mediterranean with Partner Nations, NATO
French Defense Ministry Photo
KUALA LUMPUR – The French Navy started a major force-on-force operational readiness exercise called POLARIS 21 on Thursday in the western Mediterranean.
Polaris 21, which comes from the French name for the exercise — Préparation Opérationnelle en Lutte Aéromaritime, Résilience, Innovation et Supériorité — also includes a segment on the Atlantic coast of mainland France. The French Army and Navy and partner nations Greece, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United...
French Defense Minister: France Stepping Up Security Spending, Expanding Operations Abroad
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosts a meeting with French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly to the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 9, 2021. DoD Photo
France’s message to Europe on how to deter aggressive behavior from great powers and counter terrorists requires investment in security and operating abroad, the French defense minister said on Friday.
“Europeans are doing more” to pay for their own security. Canada and the Europeans have “raised defense budgets by 24 percent since...
CNO Gilday Pledges Closer Working Relationships With British, French Navies
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday meets with U.K. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Adm. Tony Radakin, and Chief of the French Navy Adm. Pierre Vandier for a trilateral maritime discussion. The three heads of Navy met in France to sign a trilateral joint statement reaffirming their commitment to deeper co-operation and interoperability around the globe on June 3, 2021. US Navy Photo
After signing a new trilateral agreement pushing for deeper cooperation, the top officers...
Interview: French Indo-Pacific Commander Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey
Charles De Gaulle – The carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R91) docked at Changi Naval Base during its 2019 deployment to the region Photo by Dzirhan Mahadzir
KUALA LUMPUR – Far from France, Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey, Joint Commander French Armed Forces in the Asia-Pacific (ALPACI), is responsible for French security interests in the Indo-Pacific – an area of the world that’s growing in complexity as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to build, he told USNI News.
“We intend to assume our...
https://news.usni.org/2021/05/11/interview-french-indo-pacific-commander-rear-adm-jean-mathieu-rey
Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group Could Extend Stay in Middle East to Cover Afghanistan Withdrawal
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Setogiri (DD 156), back, operates alongside aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Arabian Sea on April 19, 2021. US Navy Photo
The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group current stop in the Middle East could be extended to help cover the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan, two defense officials confirmed to USNI News on Thursday.
As of Thursday, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), Carrier Air Wing 3 and IKE’s escorts were...