1 IMDEX 2025 Digital Banner 01 728x90pxThe 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.

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6 COMMENTS

    • Me too. France maintains a significant presence in the Indo-Pacific…..economically, culturally and militarily.
      Les Griffiths

  1. Would have been a novel experience for the RAN.
    Being able to get up close with a supply ship that can actually leave port.

  2. Singapore to lend Us chinook helicopters to deliver supplies to flood effected areas. What a disgrace, our government and defence should hang there heads in shame.
    We recently destroyed some 40 Taipan helicopters that surely were at least suitable for this purpose.

    • I didn’t see the reference to the Singaporean Chinooks in that story, but yes you are correct – the ADF is being supported by two of them for flood relief missions. And it is a disgrace that the 46 Taipans were scrapped. They have been a regular contributor to disaster relief operations over the years and now they are just a collection of scrap because people in Army wanted a return to the good old days of flying simple, easy to operate Black Hawks – and we taxpayers are forking out $3 billion for that pleasure. I’m waiting for someone to ask the Prime Minister while he’s touring flood-devastated areas if he still thinks the decision to get rid of the Taipans was such a good one.

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