France will deploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its accompanying strike group to the Mediterranean as fighting intensifies in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron announced in a televised address Tuesday night.
With the Strait of Hormuz shut down and maritime routes such as the Suez Canal and the Red Sea under threat, Macron said France is spearheading efforts to form a coalition that would combine resources — including military capabilities — to restore and safeguard commercial shipping.
“In light of this volatile environment and the uncertainty in the days ahead, I have ordered the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air wing, and its frigate escorts to head toward the Mediterranean,” Macron stated.
The nuclear-powered carrier and its escorts are being redirected from the Baltic and North Atlantic, where they were scheduled to take part in various NATO operations. The vessel’s air complement typically features Dassault Rafale fighter jets, Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye surveillance planes, and several helicopters.
According to the French Navy, the strike group includes the Italian destroyer Andrea Doria and the French frigate L’Amiral Ronarc’h. Media reports also list the frigates Alsace and Chevalier Paul, along with the fleet oiler Jacques Chevallier, as part of the deployment.
Macron emphasized that France must defend its economic interests, noting that the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran has severely affected oil and natural gas prices as well as global trade flows.
“We are taking the lead in assembling a coalition to combine capabilities, including military means, to restore and secure maritime traffic along these crucial routes for the world economy,” he said, referencing earlier multinational efforts in the Red Sea.
French forces stationed across several Middle Eastern bases intercepted drones in what Macron described as legitimate self-defense from the early stages of hostilities between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, acting to protect allied airspace. He added that additional Rafale jets, air-defense systems, and radar assets have been dispatched to the region.
Retired Air Force General Patrick Dutartre told French television that maintaining free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is vital, stressing that disruptions there have worldwide repercussions.
Following recent strikes affecting Cyprus, Macron also announced the reinforcement of air-defense capabilities on the island, including the deployment of the air-defense frigate Languedoc, expected to reach Cypriot waters as early as this evening.
