The French nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) left on Tuesday (01) for its first operational trip of 2022. The CLEMENCEAU 22 mission is destined for the Mediterranean Sea, and should also through the Black Sea, and takes place at the same time when tensions in Europe only increase due to the situation between Russia and Ukraine.
During the voyage, which should end in April, the battle group (CSG) of the R91 will integrate with vessels from the USA, Canada, Belgium, Israel, Spain, Italy and Greece.
On board, the aircraft carrier will have 20 Rafale M fighters, two E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft, two Dauphin/Panther helicopters and an NH90 NFH Caïman. The French component of the group is called Task Force 473 (TF 473).
patrol aircraft ATL II of and P-8 Poseidon of the US Navy will accompany the navigation of the aircraft carrier, which will also be escorted by the destroyer Forbin, FREMM air defense frigate Alsace, FREMM frigate Normandie, resupply ship Marne and attack submarines of the Rubis class. The destroyer Forbin will also have a Belgian NH90 on board.
In the Mediterranean, operations will be carried out tly with two other aircraft carriers: the Italian Cavour and the American Harry Truman, with the aim of increasing interoperability between forces with new assets.
The Cavour is carrying F-35B Lightining II fighters, while the Truman has in its air force the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, also acquired by . Charles de Gaulle embarks, for the first time, the Rafale fighters updated to the F3R standard, the most modern until the update arrived F4. The mission also marks the first voyage of FREMM Alsace, the French Navy's newest vessel.
“While TF 473 operates in the Mediterranean with an integrated US destroyer, NATO's Naval Attack and Forces, working in close coordination with other commands across the alliance, are exercising command and control of a carrier strike group. US planes. The flexibility of command and control structures among allies s the collective defense of Europe,” says the US Navy in a statement.
Bon vent et bonne mer à tous les marins engagés au sein de la mission #Clemenceau22 ! pic.twitter.com/UcXK2vJAzP
— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) February 1, 2022
According to Naval News, the R91 assets are expected to participate in Operation Chammal, the French component of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, contributing to the fight against rebuilding the capabilities of the Islamic State in the Middle East.
However, CSG aircraft and vessels will also enter the Black Sea. The movement draws attention because it occurs precisely at the same time that Russian Navy ships increase their presence in the area. Such warships could play an active role in Russia's possible invasion of Ukraine, which is seen as imminent by the United States and NATO.
Russian task forces from the Pacific, Northern and Baltic Fleets are also heading to the Mediterranean to meet for an exercise in the area. The task group of the Russian Pacific Fleet consists of the cruiser RFS Varyag (011), on the destroyer RFS iral Tributes (564) and on the resupply ship Boris Butoma.
Meeting the Pacific Fleet group in the Mediterranean are the RFS landing ships Olenegorskiy Gornyak (012) and RFS Georgiy Pobedonosets (016) and the landing ship RFS Pyotr Morgunov (117) of the Northern Fleet and RFS LSTs Korolev (130), RFS Minsk (127) and RFS Kaliningrad (102) of the Baltic Fleet.
