French Frigate Drills with U.S., Japanese Forces in the Western Pacific, U.S. Sub Tender Ready for Work on Boats in Australia

USNI News – French Navy frigate FS Bretagne (D655) is carrying out the second phase of its Indo-Pacific deployment starting with drills with the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) after conducting a crew swap in Japan. Meanwhile, submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) is preparing to carry out a joint maintenance effort with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine when it arrives in Australia, as part of AUKUS Pillar 1.

‘Back to the ‘80s’ as French navy prepares for new threats

Defense News – Western navies are preparing for wartime scenarios where they may face degraded operational conditions, including a loss of satellite communications, navy commanders from the U.S. and France said at the Paris Naval Conference this week. The French navy includes two or three days of drills under “back to the ‘80s” conditions whenever it deploys its carrier strike group, which means operating without satellite communications, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Nicolas Vaujour said at the conference.

Plus Ca Change: A French Approach to Naval Warfare in the 21st Century

War on the Rocks – A recent contribution by two French naval officers, Thibault Lavernhe and François-Olivier Corman, stands out. Seeking to refocus discussion naval warfare on naval tactics and reconnect with naval doctrine, they push back against what one might refer to as technological determinism. In the process, they offer a highly informative take on naval warfare that makes the case for keeping humans in the loop for tactical rather than ethical reasons.

French Destroyer Presence In South China Sea Shows France’ Support For Liberty Of Navigation

Naval News – France has assured nations with territorial claims in the South China Sea they will not get involved to fuel the situation, citing the deployment of the newest ship in the Marine Nationale is not an aggressive and provocative action, France’s military operations chief in the Asia-Pacific region said Wednesday.