USNI News – Far from France, Rear Adm. Jean-Mathieu Rey, Joint Commander French Armed Forces in the Asia-Pacific (ALPACI), is responsible for French security interests in the Indo-Pacific – an area of the world that’s growing in complexity as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to build.

Naval News – From 16 to 19 April, French Navy ships of the JEANNE D’ARC mission sailed together with the Royal Australian Navy’s frigate Anzac and supply ship Sirius. During this coordinated navigation, the four ships patrolled together.

Breaking Defense – The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and the French Charles de Gaulle CSG are cooperating at levels of integration rarely achieved in the past.

Naval News – The multinationThe multinational naval exercise La Pérouse kicked off yesterday in the Eastern Indian Ocean. Ships and aircraft of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), French Navy, Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and United States Navy (USN) take part in the three day exercise.

War on the Rocks – Last November, a Royal Australian Navy base near Perth was the port of call for an unusual patrol composed of two French ships, the nuclear-powered attack submarine Emeraude and the support and assistance vessel Seine. The French patrol trained with the Australian navy before sailing to the South China Sea, where it served as part of France’s efforts to challenge China’s sweeping maritime claims in the region. In addition to serving as another example of France’s ambition to be a real player in the Indo-Pacific, this long-distance and long-duration deployment demonstrated the growing importance of French-Australian cooperation.

Naval News – Sunday the 21st of March 2021, in the Gulf of Guinea, the French Navy performed a record seizure of more than 6 tons of cocaine, during an operation led by the maritime prefect of the Atlantic and Brest prosecutor’s office.

Breaking Defense – France has ramped up activity in the region in accordance with its 2019 Indo-Pacific strategy.

Naval News – France’s Pacific Command (ALPACI) announced that the Floréal-class frigate Prairial detected and identified two oilers engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer. The frigate was patrolling the East China Sea as part of UN embargo enforcement mission AETO.

South China Morning Post – France has territories, and therefore exclusive economic zones around them, in the Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific. It attaches great importance to its interests in the region and has forged close security ties with countries there.

Naval News – The French Navy’s new strategic submarine, SNLE-3G is one of a new breed of Western ballistic missile submarines. Together with the U.S. Navy’s Columbia-class and the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought it will be particularly stealthy. Its noise levels will be lower than the surrounding ocean making it very hard to detect. Combined with a host of new technologies this should ensure its survivability against future threats.

Naval News – The French Navy Carrier Strike Group set sail on Sunday (21 February) for a long operational deployment named “Clemenceau 21”. Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort set course for the Eastern Mediterranean before sailing to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf.

Naval News – French Minister for the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, on Friday 19 February announced the launch of the full-scale development phase of the SNLE 3G program which calls for the construction of France’s third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines.

Naval News – The “MISSION JEANNE D’ARC 2021” will take the LHD and frigate all the way to Japan. The ARG will transit the South China Sea twice.

Naval News – Airbus Defence and Space mini UAS subsidiary SURVEY Copter signed a contract with French DGA Armament general directorate to provide the French Navy with 11 systems, (22 aircraft), of the electrically powered fixed-wing Aliaca maritime version UAS.

Navy News – The French Navy announced that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle went through a degaussing procedure. This is important to protect the vessel against mines and will strengthen its operational capacities during its upcoming deployment.

Naval News – A French Navy Rubis-class nuclear powered submarine patrolled the South China Sea, the French minister of armed forces announced in a series of tweets. The French minister called it “a striking proof of the capacity of our French Navy to deploy far and for a long time in connection with our Australian, American and Japanese strategic partners”.

Naval News – The Ministry of Armed Forces announced that the French Navy Floréal-class frigate “Germinal” intercepted a fishing vessel with 4.2 tons of cocaine aboard.

Naval News – The French Navy Carrier Strike Group will soon be back at sea to support France’s fight against Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Defense News – Swedish vendor Saab has received a contract to deliver underwater vehicles for blowing up sea mines to an Anglo-French program.

RUSI – Before the end of 2020, and just as the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier had passed its mid-life, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, decided that the only non-American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world in service will have a successor, expected to be commissioned in 2038.

Naval News – The French Navy Atlantique 2 (ATL2) “Standard 6” maritime has reached initial operational capacity.

Naval News – French Navy Rubis-class nuclear powered submarine (SSN) “Emeraude” continues its long duration deployment in the Pacific region: It recently trained with the JMSDF and U.S. Navy in the Philippine Sea.

Naval News – On Novembre 19, 2020, the French Minister of the Armed Forces confirmed a contract notification to Dassault Aviation for twelve “Albatros” Maritime Surveillance and Intervention Aircraft (AVSIMAR). Based on the Falcon 2000LXS, the Albatros is set to replace previous generations of maritime surveillance aircraft in service with the French Navy and on the export market. Arriving after 2025, it is likely to operate alongside next generation maritime UAVs.

Reuters – Japan, France, and the United States will hold joint military drills on land and sea for the first time in May next year as the Chinese military steps up activity in the region.

Naval News – The Chief of Staff of the French Navy Admiral Vandier met with his Japanese counterpart Admiral Hiroshi Yamamura in Tokyo yesterday. Meanwhile, the Rubis-class nuclear-powered attack submarine Emeraude made a rare port of call in Guam. The two events are connected and fit right in line with France’ strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.