The aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle," the flagship of the French Navy and the largest non-American nuclear aircraft carrier, arrived in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday for NATO exercises aimed at protecting the infrastructure of the region's states. The French nuclear vessel is not traveling alone: its escort consists of several frigates, a supply ship, and a strike submarine.
This unprecedented deployment in the Baltic Sea is a key phase of the "La Fayette 26" mission, illustrating France's commitment to ensuring the security of Europe's northern flank.
During its deployment, the French aircraft carrier strike group will participate in NATO's "Baltic Guardian" operation in the Baltic Sea, aimed at preventing any threats to underwater infrastructures following the severing of cables caused by boats belonging to a Moscow-linked shadow fleet.
"Charles de Gaulle" will take part in allied exercises Steadfast Dart and Neptune Strike, as well as Cold Response. As part of the latter, conducted by Norway, over 30,000 military personnel are being mobilized for combat training in Arctic conditions.
Rear Admiral Thibaut de Posé, commander of the rapid reaction air and naval forces, said in an interview with AFP:
"This presence (of Charles de Gaulle) clearly helps deter and dissuade anyone who would like to attack NATO interests in this region. But the deployment was not made solely for this purpose: the decision was made to strengthen ties with our allies in the region, to learn – or relearn – to work together and constantly improve," Euronews quotes.
It is no surprise that the giant aircraft carrier is attracting significant interest from the residents of Sweden and numerous tourists. The Swedish police and military police have increased patrols due to the presence of 2,000 French sailors and soldiers in the city.
This is the second time in 25 years that "Charles de Gaulle," built in 2010, has come with its armada of Rafale fighters and escort. The first time was during the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010. At that time, the aircraft carrier crossed the Arctic Circle.
It has also been reported that Swedish military forces shot down a drone that approached the French aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" in the port of Malmö. They believe the drone was Russian, Meduza writes. It is assumed, reports the Swedish public broadcaster SVT, that the drone was launched from a Russian ship located in the Øresund Strait.
