The U.S. Navy has officially announced that the USS Carl Vinson and its Carrier Strike Group will participate in the “Pacific Steller” exercises in the Pacific, organized by the French Navy. From today until the 18th of this month, the carrier and its escort will join the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and the Japanese helicopter carrier JS Kaga in various activities aimed at enhancing interoperability among the three allies.
Speaking about the upcoming exercises, Rear Admiral Michael Wosje, commander of the USS Carl Vinson-led Carrier Strike Group, stated: “Pacific Steller 2025 allows us to seamlessly integrate with our French and Japanese allies in a multi-domain environment (…) Coordinated operations between the USS Carl Vinson, FS Charles De Gaulle, and JS Kaga strengthen our alliances and deter our adversaries. Together, we seek to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from all forms of coercion, and we are excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision.”
Regarding the participating vessels, classified by their respective navies, the U.S. Navy is contributing the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier along with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 embarked, as well as the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Sterett (DDG-104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110). These are complemented by a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
For its part, the French Navy is deploying its sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle (R91), escorted by the frigates FS Provence (D652) and FS Alsace (D656), the destroyer FS Forbin (D620), and the replenishment ship FS Jacques Chevallier (A725). Additionally, France is deploying a pair of Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, which are already operating in the region. From the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, the JS Kaga helicopter carrier will be joined by the destroyer JS Akizuki (DD-115) and a P-3C Orion aircraft.
Notably, this deployment marks the Charles de Gaulle’s return to the region after nearly four decades. Addressing the significance of this move, Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard, current commander of the French Carrier Strike Group, remarked: “While France is a resident nation in the Indo-Pacific, it has not deployed its CSG to this part of the world for a long time (…) There is no doubt that PACIFIC STELLER will reach a new level of interoperability for our three navies and represents a challenge we are more than eager to take on alongside our Japanese and U.S. partners.”
It is worth noting that Canada and Australia were initially planned to participate in the French-organized exercise, but their involvement was not mentioned in the latest U.S. Navy statement despite having forces deployed in the area. Canada currently has the frigate HMCS Ottawa (FFH341) operating in the region, having just completed a four-day port visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia. On the Australian side, the destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDG39) is sailing near the deployment area, accompanied by two P-8A Poseidon aircraft stationed in Singapore and the Philippines.
Image credits: @EtatMajorFR and @poetaetrr on X
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