The French Navy (Marine Nationale) is moving forward with the readiness phase of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, together with its escort and auxiliary vessels, as it prepares to take part in Operation Orion 26. After departing from the naval base in Toulon, the carrier strike group began an intensive training phase in the Mediterranean while transiting toward the North Atlantic and the Arctic, where it will conduct high-intensity maneuvers alongside allied forces.
Exercise Orion 26 represents one of the main training and strategic projection milestones of the French Armed Forces. Designed as a joint and combined operation, it will involve the participation of allied countries and aims to prepare participating units for complex, multidomain combat scenarios, integrating air, land, maritime, space, and cyber capabilities. In total, the operation will mobilize more than 12,000 personnel, 25 ships, 140 aircraft, and ground units deployed across various regions of France, under the command of the French Joint Staff and in close coordination with NATO.
During the preliminary phase, known as the “warm-up,” the carrier air group led by Charles de Gaulle conducted air and maritime control exercises in the Mediterranean, which also included the participation of F-35B and AV-8B Harrier aircraft from the Italian Navy. These activities are intended to enhance interoperability and cohesion among allied forces prior to their full integration into the multinational task force that will operate in the Atlantic.
The composition of the Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group reflects the breadth of international cooperation underpinning the exercise. Alongside French Navy frigates and support vessels, the escort includes the Spanish Navy frigate F-101 Álvaro de Bazán. Its participation will extend until February 18, with joint operations in the Bay of Biscay, the Cantabrian Sea, and areas of the North Atlantic, contributing capabilities in surveillance, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare.
Additionally, contingents from other allied countries are scheduled to take part, including an amphibious force and units of the Brazilian Marine Corps embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship Mistral (PHA). These joint maneuvers represent a key opportunity to strengthen multinational interoperability and consolidate a combined response to high-intensity crisis or conflict scenarios.
Image credits: CECMED.
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