Why Is the French Aircraft Carrier Charles De Gaulle in Piraeus?

Moored in Faliro Bay, the French Navy’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has docked following a four-month deployment across the wider Indo-Pacific region.

The Charles de Gaulle is one of Europe’s most impressive aircraft carriers, measuring 260 meters in length. It carries 22 Rafale fighter jets, reconnaissance and rescue craft, and a host of advanced military capabilities. It is accompanied by a submarine, a frigate, and several support vessels to ensure its safety and operational readiness when needed.

The vessel’s crew, including all personnel onboard, totals approximately 1,800. Its technical staff is trained to repair and maintain aircraft while at sea.

The Message Behind the Charles de Gaulle’s Stop in Piraeus
“It is a great honor and joy to be on the Charles de Gaulle. It is returning from a four-month mission in the Indo-Pacific, and it is of great significance that its stopover is taking place in Piraeus at this time. It is also a testament to the Franco-Hellenic strategic partnership signed in 2021,” said the French Ambassador to Greece, Laurence Auer, speaking from aboard the vessel to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA) and other journalists who were given a tour.

Ambassador Auer spoke about the aircraft carrier’s mission, emphasizing its crucial role in “training and the meaningful exchange of experience” between different naval forces encountered during the deployment, and particularly between the French and Greek navies and air forces. She also highlighted the opportunity to showcase the “multifaceted capabilities” of the Rafale fighter jets—both French and Greek—as well as the broader capabilities of the French Navy.

She further stressed the Charles de Gaulle’s important role in ensuring security in the Mediterranean and in safeguarding freedom of navigation through France’s naval presence.

The ambassador emphasized the value of cooperation with the Hellenic Navy in addressing “emerging threats” in the Eastern Mediterranean, and referenced the aircraft carrier’s capabilities in surveillance. She also noted that the Charles de Gaulle had previously sailed twice through the Red Sea and had supported Operation Aspides, a European naval mission in the region.

Admiral Jacques Mallard: “Greece Is Our Best Partner in the Mediterranean”
Admiral Jacques Mallard, commander of the French Aircraft Carrier Strike Group (i.e., the fleet accompanying the carrier), praised cooperation with Greece during the journalists’ visit to the Charles de Gaulle.

He referred to Operation Clemenceau 25 in the Indo-Pacific, noting that the mission would not be complete without a stop at a Greek port—specifically, Piraeus. “Greece is our best partner in the Mediterranean,” he said.

Mallard underscored the longstanding partnership with Greece, recalling that before entering the Red Sea, “we were already working with the Hellenic Navy to integrate a ship, a frigate.” Now, as they return to Toulon, he added, “we are truly proud to have ongoing opportunities for cooperation, whether with the Hellenic Air Force or the Hellenic Navy.”

Source: Tovima.vom