– Naval News – The French Ministry of Armed Forces on January 17 confirmed an order for six new offshore patrol vessels (Patrouilleur d’Outre-Mer – POM) for the French Navy (Marine Nationale).

– Naval News – The French Navy (Marine Nationale) Carrier Strike Group set sail yesterday for a long operational deployment named “Foch”. Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle and its escort set course to the Eastern Mediterranean before sailing for the Northern Atlantic area.

– Naval News – The French Navy (Marine Nationale) fourth and final Loire-class vessel, “Garonne”, entered “active duty”.

– Defense News – France has ordered six 70-meter-long (230-feet-long) offshore patrol vessels from Socarenam, a shipyard in Boulogne-sur-Mer on the country’s northern coast, to patrol its vast economic exclusive zone.

– National Interest – On July 12, 2019, French president Emmanuel Macron celebrated the imminent launch of France’s first new nuclear-powered submarine in over a decade—the Barracuda-class vessel Suffren.

– Defense News – French shipbuilder Naval Group on Friday launched the Suffren nuclear-powered attack submarine here under the gaze of President Emmanuel Macron.

– USNI News – A French task group on deployment with 130 officer cadets teamed up with U.S. Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Camp Lejeune for a few days of at-sea amphibious operations in North Carolina.

– Defense News – France’s armed forces minister has pledged the country will remain committed to the Pacific region, as she warned of a “global confrontation” emerging there.

– USNI Proceedings – The French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle returns to service this spring after a major midlife refit that has upgraded its capabilities and interoperability.

– National Interest – A bad performance in Syria was just the start.

– Reuters – Europe’s only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the 260-metre-long (850-ft) vessel, which carries 1,700 personnel and whose tonnage is equal to four Eiffel Towers, is due to be deployed in early February in the Indian Ocean

– Defense News – The French procurement office and the Navy will submit proposals to the Armed Forces Ministry based on definition studies for a future aircraft carrier.

– Defense News – The Directon Générale de l’Armement took delivery July 18 the fifth multi-mission frigate, marking a step toward an eight-strong fleet which will be the “backbone” of the French Navy.

– Defense News – The ballistic missile submarine Téméraire has been taken to Ile Longue, the French naval base for nuclear boats, marking a key step in a major refit of the sub.

– South China Morning Post – France has sent warships through contested waters and will hold air exercises in the area later this year.

– South China Morning Post – Defence ministers tell security forum they are contributing to rule-based order.

– USNI News – When Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Chief of Staff of the French Navy Adm. Christophe Prazuck stood together on the flight deck of carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on Monday, pairs of fighters flew overhead – one American F/A-18E-F Super Hornet, one French Rafale at its side.

– USNI News – Performing touch-and-go’s, catapult launches and arrested landings, French naval aviators are now qualifying aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and speeding up the timeline for their carrier to be combat ready.

– USNI News – Since carrier flight skills atrophy over time, French naval aviators are spending two months training with US Navy air wings so they’ll be ready for missions this summer when their carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) finishes repairs after almost two years in the yard.

– Defense News – Japan is offering its Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft for a Franco-German requirement for a new aircraft. The move is part of the island nation’s efforts to secure its first major arms sale since a self-imposed ban on arms exports following World War II was lifted four years ago.

– Defense News – When a French multimission frigate failed to fire its salvo of three naval cruise missiles during last weekend’s joint airstrike on Syria, the military drew on a backup plan. The frigate’s sister ship, the Languedoc, instead launched its naval cruise missiles at the three Syrian targets.

– USNI Proceedings – From counterdrug and minesweeping operations to launching Rafale fighters from the carrier Charles de Gaulle in support of the fight against ISIL, the French Navy responds to the defense needs of the French people.

– USNI News – France is sending 350 sailors and naval aviators to deploy with a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier this spring as their nuclear-powered carrier finishes scheduled maintenance

– Reuters – As tension spikes on the Korean peninsula, a French amphibious assault carrier sailed into Japan’s naval base of Sasebo on Saturday ahead of drills that risk upsetting China.

– CIMSEC – In Europe, France is distinctive in claiming that its boundaries actually extend outside Europe into the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, i.e. the ‘Indo-Pacific,’ through its overseas departments (département d’outre-mer), and overseas territories (territoire d’outre-mer), which are considered integral parts of France, and indeed thereby of the European Union. These Indo-Pacific possessions also have large Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). These give France important maritime interests to be maintained, and if need be defended, by the French Navy.