The French carrier group led by the nuclear aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle spent five and a half months gathering intelligence on several crisis areas simultaneously — from Russia’s war against Ukraine to Israel’s actions in Lebanon, Iran’s missile launches, and the activity of armed groups in the Red Sea region.
The scale of the operation was described by Rear Admiral Thibault Odos de Posses, who commanded the French carrier group. The ships returned to Toulon on July 11, 2026, completing one of the longest and most unusual voyages in the modern history of the French fleet. During the mission, the group passed through the Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the northwestern Indian Ocean.
The mission began in the Atlantic and the Baltic Sea.
The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle left Toulon on January 27, 2026. Initially, the voyage was not related to the Middle East: the ship and its escort were heading to the Atlantic to participate in large-scale joint and international exercises ORION 26.
The French military practiced high-intensity combat operations, interaction with allies, air and anti-submarine defense, protection of sea routes, and management of combined forces. The group included the aircraft carrier itself, escort frigates, the supply ship Jacques Chevallier, a nuclear attack submarine, and carrier-based aviation.
After the Atlantic stage, the group moved to the North and Baltic Seas. This area is directly significant for the security of Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank: Russian warships and submarines operate here, routes of the Russian ‘shadow fleet’ pass, and underwater cables and other critical infrastructure of European countries are located.
However, within a few weeks, the initial plan had to be completely changed.
Macron urgently deployed the aircraft carrier south.
After the start of a new major escalation around Iran on February 28, 2026, the French command began preparing options for deploying the carrier group to the Middle East.
The official order was given by French President Emmanuel Macron on March 3. Charles de Gaulle, located in the Baltic Sea, was to urgently move south and take positions in the eastern Mediterranean.
The French group covered about six thousand kilometers in six days, transferring a full-fledged airbase to the new area with fighters, radar detection aircraft, air defense systems, and supplies for long-term operations.
About three thousand sailors were on the aircraft carrier and its accompanying ships. The Charles de Gaulle air wing included approximately 20 Rafale Marine carrier-based fighters, as well as long-range radar detection aircraft capable of controlling airspace at a significant distance from the ships.
Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands sent their forces to interact with the French group. According to the admiral, this confirmed that European countries increasingly rely on their own naval capabilities at a time when the US demands that Europe take more responsibility for its region’s security.
Three tasks for France in the eastern Mediterranean.
After Charles de Gaulle arrived in the eastern Mediterranean, Emmanuel Macron defined three main tasks for the group.
The first was the protection of French citizens, military bases, and units. At that time, about four thousand French military personnel were already in Abu Dhabi, Djibouti, and Lebanon.
The second task was the protection of Cyprus — a European Union state and a strategic partner of France.
The third direction was the formation of an independent French assessment of events in several theaters of military operations. In particular, the group was tasked with continuing to monitor the situation related to Russia’s war against Ukraine and tracking operations conducted by Israel in Lebanon.
This point shows that the carrier group was used not only as a strike force or deterrent tool. Charles de Gaulle became a mobile intelligence center, allowing Paris to obtain its own data and not rely entirely on information from the US or other allies.
What the French monitored in Israel and Lebanon.
The rear admiral reported that the group’s aircraft and ships monitored the tactical and operational movements of various conflict participants. The collected information was transmitted to the French strategic command, where it was compared with data from satellites, ground radars, reconnaissance aviation, and other sources.
Carrier-based aircraft could conduct long-range reconnaissance flights, including areas deep in Syria and Iraq. This allowed France to monitor the movement of aviation, the operation of air defense systems, missile and drone launches, the activity of pro-Iranian groups, and changes in the military situation around Lebanon.
The mention of Israeli operations does not mean that France conducted reconnaissance exclusively against Israel. It was about monitoring the entire conflict zone and all its participants: the IDF, Hezbollah, Iran-related formations, Syrian forces, and other military structures.
For Israel, this is of particular importance. France simultaneously supports Israel’s right to security, demands the disarmament of Hezbollah, helps the Lebanese army, and tries to participate in mechanisms to prevent a new war on the Israeli-Lebanese border.
As noted by NANews — Israel News, Paris seeks to maintain a special role in the region: not to join one side directly, but to have enough intelligence information to influence diplomatic and military decisions.
French ships tracked missiles towards Cyprus.
The escort frigates of Charles de Gaulle took positions between Syria and Cyprus.
During the mission, their radars detected ballistic missiles flying towards the island. The French military calculated the trajectories and warned the Cypriot authorities. According to the calculations, the missiles launched by Iran were supposed to fall into the sea, not reaching Cyprus’s territory.
France also deployed additional ships, aviation, and missile and drone defense systems in the region. Macron called this grouping unprecedented for modern French policy in the Middle East, while emphasizing its defensive nature.
What is known about monitoring the war in Ukraine.
The most closed part of the mission remains the Ukrainian direction.
The admiral confirmed that the situation around Ukraine was among the directions for which the group was to provide the French leadership with an independent assessment. However, he did not name specific Russian units, ships, airfields, or military facilities that were monitored.
There is also no confirmation that aircraft from Charles de Gaulle entered Ukrainian airspace or conducted flights directly over the Black Sea.
It is likely that a significant portion of the data was collected during the group’s stay in the Atlantic, North, and Baltic Seas. There, French ships could track the movements of the Russian fleet, submarines, reconnaissance aviation, and ships involved in bypassing sanctions. After redeployment to the Middle East, the carrier group’s information could be combined with data from other French and allied surveillance systems. This allows us to speak not of direct ‘monitoring of Ukraine,’ but of controlling Russia’s military activity and the overall situation around the war.
The French Ministry of Armed Forces officially confirmed that the group’s initial area of operations was in the North Atlantic and the Baltic, and the decision to redeploy it to the eastern Mediterranean was made only on March 3.
Charles de Gaulle was also constantly monitored.
Intelligence around the carrier group was mutual.
According to the French commander, Russian frigates, maritime patrol aircraft from different countries, and drones, which could belong to Israel, monitored the actions of Charles de Gaulle.
The admiral did not call such behavior hostile. He explained that a large carrier group inevitably attracts the attention of military intelligence, which tries to determine the mode of operation of its aviation, radar systems, movement routes, and the order of interaction of ships. Such observation has become almost an everyday part of naval operations.
A separate scandal arose after the location of the aircraft carrier was determined using data from the Strava sports app. One of the French sailors used the app during a workout, which helped match the route with commercial satellite images.
The command stated that the published position was not transmitted in real-time and did not affect the mission’s execution. Nevertheless, the rules for using phones and internet-connected apps on board were further tightened.
Through the Red Sea under missile threat.
The next stage of the voyage was the passage through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.
The French group headed towards the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. In this zone, the ships were under potential threat of missile and drone attacks.
During the passage, the frigates closed in on the aircraft carrier, the crews went to the highest level of combat readiness, and Rafale fighters constantly monitored the air situation. They were to detect, identify, and, if necessary, destroy any target threatening the ships.
Later, Charles de Gaulle was directed closer to the Red Sea as part of preparations for a possible European operation to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. France and the United Kingdom discussed creating an international naval mission that would operate separately from American forces and only after the threat level decreased.
The aircraft carrier as a tool of intelligence and political pressure.
The voyage of Charles de Gaulle demonstrated how the role of aircraft carriers has changed in modern conflicts.
The French ship did not deliver large-scale strikes, but its very presence allowed Paris to demonstrate readiness to intervene, protect allies, control airspace, and gather intelligence over a vast territory.
The group operated simultaneously in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, the conflict around Iran, threats to Cyprus, and instability in the Red Sea.
For France, this was an opportunity to obtain its own picture of events and maintain political independence. For Israel, the presence of the French carrier group meant the emergence of another powerful observation center nearby, capable of monitoring both Iranian and pro-Iranian forces and Israel’s actions.
NANews — Israel News notes: the main feature of the mission was not surveillance of one specific country, but simultaneous control of several interconnected conflicts. In modern warfare, data on the movements of aircraft, ships, missile systems, and drones can be as important as the direct use of weapons.
…
“Not About the War”: The book of Jewish defender of Ukraine Maksym Shvartsman was presented in Chernivtsi on the 3rd anniversary of his death at the front - July 21, 2026
- Новости Израиля
Did Azerbaijan stop Israel’s vote on recognizing the Armenian genocide? - July 20, 2026
- Новости Израиля
June 2026 was the hardest for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022 — UN data - July 20, 2026
- Новости Израиля