In the passageways, the loudspeakers crackle and announce a “clear bridge”.
As dawn breaks in early February, sailors are allowed to get some fresh air on the deck of the “Charles-de-Gaulle”.
This fills up quickly.
In shorts and sneakers, joggers go back and forth in front of three Rafales fixed to the ground.
With triangular wings and sharp beaks, they look like birds of prey ready to take flight.
Gunshots ring out.
Below, in the hangar, we can see riflemen, responsible for protecting the boat, who practice shooting at targets placed with their backs to the sea. But we also work on the deck.
In a strange ballet, men and women in helmets bustle around the planes, the catapults which ensure takeoffs and the stopping strands, these impressive ropes necessary for the return of the machines.
The crew is preparing for the first “deck” of the day: a group will set off for an exercise flight.
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