France sending aircraft carrier to Mediterranean, Macron says - Reuters

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNOW1iekZDeG5kQmlRNWgyX3MxeDhOQlJPQ2NkQjNNYmx2aFo0Q1Rvb2dZeUxESE5BTkR1MEN5bGw0Q1NDUWEtMDlrN3R1TUx3NEE1TVNxdXVWZ2FFWU1NdXBBNHB6a0MxeTJnQXJEUXE2YlRWN3BPV1p4MXVZN2RxRGpTclZxQlI3bDYxMXNHM1NrYjl0dmxrYzl0MGpWa0ZY?oc=5" target="_blank">France sending aircraft carrier to Mediterranean, Macron says</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">Reuters</font>

French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the redeployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean amid the escalating war in the Middle East. The move aims to bolster the defense of allied assets, especially following a strike on a British airbase in Cyprus. The deployment includes escorting frigates, Rafale fighter jets, and various air-defense and radar systems. Macron stated that French forces had already engaged drones in self-defense to protect allied airspace and emphasized France's defense commitments to countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq.

French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing, and its escorting frigates. In a pre-recorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East. He cited Monday’s strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus was a member of the European Union with which France has recently signed a strategic partnership. “This requires our support. That is why I have decided to send additional air-defense assets there as well, along with a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus later this evening,” Macron said.

The head of state announced that France will deploy air defence capabilities to several of these allied countries as part of a "defensive" force. He also warned against a potential Israeli ground operation in Lebanon, calling it "a dangerous escalation and a strategic mistake." Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said French Rafale fighter jets had carried out air-security operations over French installations in the United Arab Emirates to protect them from further drone attacks. The French President also warned that key maritime corridors were at risk and said France was taking the initiative to protect them. "We are leading efforts to build a coalition to bring together the means to restore and secure traffic," in the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal, which he described as essential sea routes for global trade and energy supplies.

France will send the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Mediterranean as war expands in the Middle East, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech on Tuesday night. With the Strait of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea threatened, France is also working on a coalition to pool assets, including military, that will allow shipping traffic to resume, Macron said in the televised speech. "Faced with this unstable situation and the uncertainties of the days ahead, I have given orders for the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, its air assets, and its escort of frigates to set course for the Mediterranean," Macron said. The nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle and its escorts are being rerouted from the Baltic and the Northern Atlantic, where the carrier group had been set to participate in multiple NATO missions. The air group embarked on France’s only carrier typically consists of Rafale jets and E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, as well as several helicopters. The deployed carrier strike group included the Italian destroyer Andrea Doria as well as the French frigate L’Amiral Ronarc’h, according to the French Navy. The group also included the frigates Alsace and Chevalier Paul, as well as the oiler Jacques Chevallier, according to French media reports. Macron said France has economic interests to protect, with oil prices, natural gas prices and international trade "profoundly" disrupted by the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran. "We are taking the initiative to build a coalition to pool resources, including military resources, to resume and secure traffic in these maritime routes that are essential to the global economy," Macron said. "This is what we were able to do several months ago in the Red Sea. This is what we must do there today." French forces, which are deployed across several bases in the Middle East, downed drones "in legitimate defense" from the very first hours of the conflict between the U.S. and Israel with Iran, to protect the airspace of its allies, Macron said. France in recent hours sent additional Rafale jets, air-defense systems and radars to the region, the president said. "It’s crucial that we ensure freedom of movement in the Strait of Hormuz because we are all affected," retired Air Force Gen. Patrick Dutartre said on French television. With European Union member Cyprus also struck in recent days, France will also send additional air-defense assets to the island, as well as the air-defense frigate Languedoc, which should arrive off the coast of Cyprus as early as this evening, Macron said.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday ordered France's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean to help protect allied assets during the ongoing war in the Middle East. Macron said the Charles de Gaulle will be escorted by its air wing, and its escorting frigates. In a pre-recorded speech on French TV, Macron added that Rafale fighter jets, air-defense systems, and airborne radar systems have been deployed over the past few hours in the Middle East. "And we will continue this effort as much as necessary," Macron said. He cited Monday's strike on a British air force base on Cyprus, adding that Cyprus was a member of the European Union with which France has recently signed a strategic partnership. "This requires our support. That is why I have decided to send additional air-defense assets there as well, along with a French frigate, the Languedoc, which will arrive off the coast of Cyprus later this evening," Macron said.