Naval News – European navies may need to provide greater-still at-sea presence in key European waters – and further afield, into the Indian Ocean and beyond – to add mass in these regions to deter security threats if US Navy forces are increasingly focused on operational deployments in the Pacific, the French Navy’s Chief of Naval Staff told a major UK Royal Navy (RN) conference in London.

Naval News – In what is rather unusual (but not a first), French frigate Lorraine, which is yet to be commissioned, took part in the evacuation operations in Sudan.

USNI News – The Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group is now in the Indian Ocean exercising with the Indian Navy. At the same time, three Rafale fighter aircraft embarked on FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91) deployed to Singapore as part of the Rastaban joint power projection exercise with the French Air Force.

War Zone – The newly commissioned latest version of the Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft is now equally proficient in overland missions.

Breaking Defense – Known for the time being as the PANG (for Porte Avion Nouvelle Génération), the 75,000 tonne (82,673 tons) ship will be 310m (1,017 ft) long and 85m (279 feet) at the widest point of the carrier deck.

Naval News – The French Navy is working towards a Pacific Region deployment for its Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group in 2025.

Naval News – In a report published by the French Parliament’s National Defense and Armed Forces Committee, members of parliament (MPs) review the French Navy (Marine Nationale)’s feedback on the high-intensity exercise ‘POLARIS’ conducted from November 18 to December 3, 2021.

France Inter – France has just raised its level of alert on nuclear deterrence. Now, three of the submarines equipped with this weapon are at sea, an unprecedented situation.

Naval News – The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its strike group are being retasked to support NATO following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The French CSG which is currently deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as part of the “CLEMENCEAU 22” mission began a logistics stop in Cyprus. It will then be reassigned to assist NATO.

Naval News – A new “Seabed Warfare Strategy” was unveiled by French Minister of Armed Forces, Florence Parly and Joint Chief of Staff, General Thierry Burkhard on 14 February. The strategy aims at broadening the capabilities of anticipation and action of the French Navy (Marine Nationale) up to 6,000 m depth.

Defense News – Autonomous and remotely operated drones are at the heart of France’s ambitions to further explore and exploit the deep sea waters under a new seabed strategy release Monday.

USNI News – The French Navy is only now starting to recover from 30 years of deep budget cuts that saw its fleet size halved, its senior admiral said Monday.

Naval News – The U.S. Navy and the French Navy (Marine Nationale) inked a Strategic Interoperability Framework (SIF) on 17 December 2021. The agreement paves the way for increased cooperation between the two navies for the next twenty years, especially their ability to “plug and fight” side by side.

Naval News – Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBNs) form the backbone of nuclear deterrents. Yet the types in service with NATO navies, the U.S., U.K., and France, are reaching the ends of their service lives. The new submarines which are being built to succeed them should keep the deterrent dependable in an uncertain future.

Naval News – From November 18 to December 3, 2021, the French Navy will conduct its largest exercise ever: POLARIS 21.

Naval News – Leading Navies are secretive about the full capabilities of their submarines. In a rare privilege, Naval News has been allowed aboard the French Navy’s (Marine Nationale) newest boat, Suffren. Here is what it is like to step inside a next generation nuclear-powered attack submarine.

USNI News – The French Army and Navy last week completed the Cormoran 21 exercise after more than two weeks of drills in the Mediterranean. Cormoran 21 is a power projection exercise involving the joint amphibious and airmobile capabilities of the two services where 24 Army helicopters join amphibious operations commandoes embarked on French Navy ships to form the Groupe Naval Aéromobile (Naval Airmobile Group).

Naval News – The French Navy and French Army are currently conducting a joint, large scale, amphibious exercise named Cormoran 21. The goal is to train both services in a high intensity combat scenario representative of what the French Military may face tomorrow.

Naval News – During the fifth edition of the Naval Innovation Days, Naval Group unveiled for the first time to the public its Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (XLUUV) demonstrator.

Naval News – FS Courbet is the first of three French Navy La Fayette-class frigates (known as FLF for Frégate Légère Furtive – Light Stealth Frigate) to receive a mid-life update. The Commanding Officer of the ship and the program director at Naval Group gave Naval News a tour of the ship, focusing on the new upgrades.

Government of France – France’s latest on its strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.

USNI News – As France’s Jeanne D’Arc deployment nears its conclusion, the French are looking to continue high-end operations in the Indo-Pacific region, according to two French officials in command of the deployment.

Naval News – Combined logistics planning by the French Navy, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and the U.S. Navy culminated in ships from each country exercising its ability to sustain each other at sea.

Naval News – Interview with the Chief of Staff of the French Navy, Admiral Pierre Vandier, about the role of the Marine Nationale in the Indo-Pacific.

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.