France’s nuclear-powered carrier heads to Japan in ‘message’ to China, allies

Analysts say the deployment aims to bolster alliances, deter adversaries and demonstrate France’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific

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Rafale and Super Etendards fighter jets are seen on board France’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 12 Nov 2024Updated: 10:37am, 12 Nov 2024

France is reportedly preparing to send its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, on an extended mission that could include a historic first visit to Japan, a move analysts say is intended to send a message to both allies and hostile regional powers.

“The message behind this latest French deployment is not just aimed at one state, although the priority is likely to be China, but other countries as well,” Garren Mulloy, a professor of international relations at Daito Bunka University, told This Week in Asia.

Earlier this month, the French Ministry of Defence announced that its aircraft carrier and task force including air wing and warships conducted exercises in the Mediterranean Sea after a four-month refit. According to Naval News on November 1, a senior French officer stated that the carrier group will soon begin a multi-month mission named Clemenceau 25, covering the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.

The publication reported that the deployment will include port visits to the Philippines and Japan. The strike group is expected to feature the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, an air defence destroyer, two frigates, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, and a logistics vessel. The air wing is likely to consist of 24 Rafale Marine fighters, four helicopters, and two early-warning aircraft.

The mission is likely to include joint exercises with the Indian navy and drills with several Pacific partners, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Japan.

French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. Photo: AP

The unnamed French military official, who requested anonymity, told Naval News that the mission has not set “any limits to its imagination” and intends to “train as far and as realistically as possible.”