Europe's most powerful warship approaches Indo-Pacific amid China's maritime expansion
A French carrier strike group, headed by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, has set sail for the Indo-Pacific region. The group will conduct joint exercises with Japanese and United States forces. The deployment comes amid rising tensions over China's increasing maritime activity in the region. The Charles de Gaulle, which is over 260 meters long and can carry up to 40 aircraft, departed from Toulon, a naval base in southern France, on Thursday.
Strike group's composition and route to Indo-Pacific revealed
The strike group includes some 3,000 personnel, three air defense frigates, and one nuclear attack submarine. The group will cross the Indian Ocean before arriving at its final destination in the Pacific. The joint exercises will be held near Indonesia with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the US Navy. Rear Admiral Jacques Mallard, the commander of the strike group, raised concerns over the increasing use of force across the world, stating it is becoming "almost natural and even uninhibited."
Strike group commander advocates for dialogue and navigation freedom
Mallard stressed that "the solution will remain dialogue." He also highlighted the need to maintain "the status quo and freedom of navigation without seeking territorial expansion in the Indo-Pacific."
European nations increase presence in Indo-Pacific region
The deployment of the French carrier strike group is part of a larger trend of increased European involvement in the Indo-Pacific region. Earlier this year, naval vessels, including those from the United Kingdom and Germany, paid visits to Japan, while the Italian Navy flagship, the aircraft carrier Cavour, made its first-ever port call in Japan in August.
