For the first time, it will be placed for two weeks under NATO operational control as part of a mission bringing together vessels from several countries.
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After eight months of work and several sea trials, the Charles de Gaulle returns to service. The French aircraft carrier, which carries 1,900 crew members and Rafale Marine fighter planes, left the port of Toulon (Var) on Monday April 22 for six weeks of operations in the Mediterranean. For the first time he will be placed from April 26 to May 10 under NATO operational control as part of a mission bringing together vessels from several countries.
On April 25, the aircraft carrier will also host for the first time on board the conference of 32 ambassadors from the member countries of the military alliance, a sign of France’s reinvestment in NATO. French Vice-Admiral Didier Maleterre, number two in NATO’s maritime command, stressed that France could “a snap of the finger recover the national command during operations if necessary”.
But voices had criticized the announcement of the placement of Charles de Gaulle under alliance control. The leader of La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, thus denounced on a “vassalization displayed” from France. “We must not give in to lies”, had retorted the Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, ensuring that “France never loses command of its forces placed under the NATO flag”.
