The aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, flagship of the French fleet, will come under NATO operational control for the first time for a 15-day mission in the Mediterranean. This mission bringing together ships from several nations (United States, Greece, Spain, Portugal) will take place from April 26 to May 10 under the command of the StrikforNato maritime staff, comprising fifteen nations including France.
The mission will allow France “to fall into line by putting itself on the same level as our allies,” said the commander of theFrench naval air group, Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard. It is a message to the Russians. Faced with the growing threat, being collectively effective takes precedence, says Pascal Ausseur, director general of the Mediterranean Foundation for Strategic Studies. The message is also aimed at the other nations of the Atlantic Alliance, once critical of French support for Kiev, which they considered too light following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.