Supply ship Jacques Chevallier makes port in Darwin

The supply ship Jacques Chevallier of the French carrier strike group (CSG) including the aircraft carrier FNS Charles De Gaulle, its embarked air wing and its escort vessels recently stopped over at Darwin. Thanks to strong relations with Australia and direct access to the port of Darwin, the supply ship restocks its supplies of material and fuel to replenish at sea the aircraft carrier and its escorts to ensure the operations at sea. From January 21 to 24, three Rafale Marine were launched from the Charles De Gaulle to Darwin, more than 1,000 nautical miles, to carry out cooperation flights with the Royal Australian Air Force F-35 aircraft. These activities are part of the defence cooperation agreements, signed on June 2006 between France and Australia. Currently, the French CSG is deployed in the Indo-Pacific as part of Mission CLEMENCEAU 25. During its deployment, the CSG will conduct joint training sessions with its regional partners. From January 16 to 25, it participated in the exercise LA PEROUSE organised by France alongside eight nations (France, United States, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, India, United Kingdom and Singapore). This exercise aims to ensure maritime security of the three major straits of the Indonesian arc (Malacca, Sunda and Lombok) and to develop interoperability between these 8 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean. Admitted to active service on November 20, 2024, the Jacques Chevallier set sail from Toulon on November 29 to join the escort of the French carrier strike group. It is a major tactical advantage for the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, even if its nuclear propulsion allows it to operate at sea indefinitely, it needs to supply with food for the crew and fuel for its aircraft. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]