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France is deploying its sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle and its battle group to the Middle East, to support French Military operations against ISIS in the region.
This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on January 16th.
“The aircraft carrier will support Chammal operations (in the Middle East) from January to April 2020 before deploying to the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea”, Macron said at a New Year speech to the French military.
It “will be at the heart of combined operations in several European countries,” he said in his speech, adding that “Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Greece will participate in the Charles de Gaulle escort during its mission.”
“This European force, like our Lynx deployment in the Baltic countries, will strengthen the transatlantic link and NATO, further proof that European defense and NATO are two pillars of the same building,” he stressed.
He further said that, despite the changing situation in the Middle East, France was set on countering ISIS.
“In the Near and Middle East, despite the changes in the region, our forces engaged in Operation Chammal are continuing operations to combat ISIS, the threat of which still hangs in another hidden, more insidious form “, he insisted.
He then made a veiled stab at Germany, Canada and other countries who reduced their contingent due to the escalation between Iran and the US in recent weeks.
“France, has remained from the beginning, with constancy and determination, with courage”, and “it is one of those who fight against the terrorist threat, one of those who stay in the region, and keep fighting are known,” he said.
The Charles de Gaule carrier strike group is comprised of F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Forbin (D 620), and the Royal Danish Navy Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate HDMS Niels Juel.
The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, is the flagship of the French Navy and its sole such warship. Overall, it is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the only nuclear-powered carrier fully completed and deployed outside of the United States Navy.
It is a one-in-class unique carrier. With a displacement of 42,500 tons. It’s 261.5 meters long, its beam is 64.35 meters.
Its propulsion comes from 2 Areva K15 pressurised water reactors (PWR), 150 MWt each, as well as 2 Alstom steam turbines with a total 61 MW shaft power. It sails at a speed of 27 knots. It has an unlimited range, and can sail for approximately 20-25 years. It’s endurance is limited by its capacity of 45 days of food.
It has a ship company of 1,350 and an air wing of 600.
Its armament is as follows:
- 4 × 8 cell A-43 Sylver launchers carrying the MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missile.
- 2 × 6 cell Sadral launchers carrying Mistral short range missiles
- 8 × Giat 20F2 20 mm cannons.
It can carry between 28–40 aircraft including:
- Rafale M
- E-2C Hawkeye
- SA365 Dauphin
- EC725 Caracal
- AS532 Cougar
In the last few years, France has gradually increased its defense budget. In 2018, Macron announced his defense budget plan, which foresees spending approximately €300 billion by 2025. The military budget is set to rise by €1.7 billion annually until 2022, when Macron’s presidential term ends, and by €3 billion thereafter.
The government increased defense spending by 5.6%, to €34.2 billion, for 2018. The budget for 2019 was €35.9 billion, up 5%.
The budget for 2020 stands at €37.5 billion. The defense budget will benefit from 1.7 billion Euros of new resources in 2020, in line with the trajectory of the 2019-2025 military programming law.
In the last three years, the budget of the Ministry of the Armed Forces will have benefited from € 10 billion of cumulative additional expenditure.
In 2020, the provision for external operations and domestic missions will reach its normalized level of € 1.1 billion (compared to € 450 million in 2017).
One of the external operations that are to receive further funding includes Operation “Barkhane”, since 2014 France has been combating terrorist in the Sahel, and it has done such a good job that people in Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger have repeatedly protested against their futile efforts.
France’s anti-terrorist activities have so far led to a rise in ISIS and other groups’ activities in the Sahel that has never been seen before.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
NATO building up their military in the ME and it looks like that Iran and Syria are the targets.
Perhaps not as ambitious as that. Russian plan on liberating Idlib quietly step by step is strating to bringing up the visible results and nearing of the end for terrorists in Syria. NATO is starting to panic that all their vicious crimes and support of terrorism will be undone in Syria completely… So they want to build up the pressure and perhaps combine with another false flag Assad’s “chlorine” attack on “civilians in Idlib” next door to White Helmet monkeys (as usual) To get excuse to hit SAA in punitive action by cruise missiles or similar(no NATO airplanes since Russia and SAA have air defenses) Soon enough we will find out if they have prepared something with U.S. of that kind of action.
However, Russia makes all that NATO has under her control obsolete. How old is this aircraft carrier and how often is she in full working order?
They’ll head out there for show but if they start anything against Iran goodby Al Udeid Air Base, Centcom and Saudi oil production …. and goodby petrodollar.
It’s obvious now the Saudi’s are vulnerable and the USA can do nothing to protect them. If they lose the pertodollar it’s the end of the US empire.
The question is is it worth starting the largest most expensive war since WW2, huge casualties from missiles and tanking the economy to bully iran?
It makes absolutely no sense to go to war over butthurt feelings …. even for the USA. If this was another coalition circle jerk bombing campaign I could see it but this time the bad guys have teeth.
And good bye Islamist Iran. You always have such stupid and suicidal narratives for others while binging on your Vodka ration, Igor.
Большие колеса продолжают вращаться Отвези меня домой, чтобы увидеть мою родню Петь песни о юге страны Я снова скучаю по “оле” “Vodka ration” И я думаю, что это грех, да
Remember how strong were NATO military in the North Korean crisis. There were 2 carrier groups and a lot of troops in Southern Korea. But the mountain gave birth to a mouse.
Did it? I did not even see the mouse.
Nope, it’s all posturing. Iran issued just 1 warning that made Trump change his mind, and his ziofascist pal Satanyahoooo keep quiet: any attack on Iran will trigger an attack on Occupied Palestine.
And that attack on OP will come from Iran and Hezbollah, and the ziofascist garbage dump would be history.
Forty more war planes sent to NOT bomb ISIS or head-choppers. The Danes who have a picket ship in the battle group apparently let slip that their ship was going to patrol the Gulf. Speaks volumes
This rust bucket is flying the tricolor, however most French military assets historically fly white flags. The froggies can’t even pay pensions and shooting the yellow vests at home but trying to act imperial. TOO FUNNY!
russia should mess with it lol
Say goodbye to the rusty russkie planes that mess with our NATO allies
Says the youngest scam artist and conman awaiting his impending holiday. Don’t forget the soap Jacob.. The soap…
I bet you’d know about soap since you’ve probably been to prison
Of course Jacob. Any pointers I can give you that may help let me know.. I have an ugly face so there was no need for soap ut with your pretty boy face you are going to need it.. speaking from experience of course..
would be hilarious if russian fighters buzzed it lmao
Try it if you have the guts, France will shoot down any Russkie scrap-metal plane approaching its carrier, guaranteed.
wow Jacob someone agreed with you. Wonder if it is one of your dildo friends , let us see… Ohhh Jacob… you are naughty…..
Shoot it down with what? Slingshots?
that’s a really big and convenient target
Try it, NATO will declare war on Iran and destroy Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq once and for all.
Yeah, sure, baby, keep dreaming your wet dreams.
You see that terrorist on your profile picture? He got eliminated by a US Airforce MQ-9 Reaper Drone missile strike using AGM-Hellfire missiles! Mazel Tov! :-]
The only terrorists in the Middle East are the zionazis in Occupied Palestine, a bunch of pussies are too scared to take on a real opponent, which is why they took out one of the best generals of modern times.
Your beloved garbage dump with its state terrorism is doomed, baby. It has survived only thanks to the OUTLAW, psychopath-run, blackmailing, sanctioning, belligerent, rogue empire-in-decline, which is sliding into decline and decadence. When that process is done, your stinking cesspool will become history.
Allahu Akbar.
Someone should hack the dew used for the Australian forest fires and make a nice little hole in the Freclnch pride…
Even the French have a WORKING, nuclear powered aircraft carrier! Meanwhile the Russkies (a regional power) don’t even have 1 working carrier, and it’s planes always fail to take off and land from it, crashing into the water on a daily basis.
It needs tugboats and smokes more during operation than it did during the massive fires that occurred a couple weeks ago.
Admiral Kuznetsov is the Admiral Jokenetsov. Meanwhile America has 11 AVAILABLE SUPERCARRIERS capable of carrying 90 fighter aircraft including the F-18 Superhornet (zero combat losses), the F-35 (zero combat losses) and the EA-18 Growler (electronic warfare aircraft capable of jamming S-400 radars)
The Russians don’t need sitting ducks.
France: a pathetic wannabe world power. ?