The French sent their aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and on Monday PASSEX (Passing Exercise) of the frigate THEMISTOKLIS with the French frigate FS PROVENCE was conducted, in the wider maritime area of the Myrtoo Sea and the Kythera Strait.
Without downplaying in the least the choice of the area of the co-training, which is advertised accordingly by the General Staff, we will avoid being drawn into assessments about «sending a message» to Turkey and other such things... With the money we will pay the French, we can expect co-training in areas of the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean that are in Ankara's crosshairs.
According to the French announcement:
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on a new mission: it is the 14thη in turn, running from February to April 2022. On board: 1200 sailors, 22 Rafale, 2 Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, 3 helicopters. Alongside the carrier, the aircraft carrier's escort air force is deployed: 3 frigates, a refuelling vessel and a nuclear submarine. Demonstrating its interoperability with allied naval forces, the air force will include numerous foreign vessels during the mission.
From 1η February, France deploys the air force forming Task Force 473 (TF 473) around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its aircraft. This air force will operate in the Mediterranean until April 2022, as part of the CLEMENCEAU 22 mission.
An indisputable tool for power projection and autonomous situation assessment, air power will be deployed in a complex strategic environment with increasing regional tensions. The deployment of this military force, unique in the European Union, underlines the importance France attaches to freedom of action and movement at sea and in the skies.
An accumulator of international forces by nature, the air force will join vessels from allied naval forces within the EU (Greece, Belgium, Spain) and NATO (USA, Canada). Their participation offers an opportunity to maintain and develop our capacity to work together to defend Europe's interests, as France takes over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU for six months. The mission
CLEMENCEAU 22 also aims to strengthen France's cooperation with its coastal allies in the Mediterranean.
Following on from its previous missions, the air force will participate in Operation CHAMMAL, the French arm of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE, and will contribute to the fight against the reconstruction of the Islamic State in the Middle East. Finally, it will be able to reinforce France's operational commitments within the EU (EUNAVFORMED IRINI), NATO and the SACEUR area of responsibility (Supreme Allied Command for Europe), or another alliance.
The Joint Chiefs of Defence, in a statement, said:
On Monday 31 January 2022, a PASSEX (Passing Exercise) of the frigate THEMISTOKLIS with the French frigate FS PROVENCE was conducted in the wider maritime area of the Myrtoo Sea and the Kythera Strait.
During the co-training, surface fires against a rocky island were carried out, composition and tactical image exchange, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), communications, advanced manoeuvres and Air Defence Exercise (ADEX) with the participation of a total of 6 fighter aircraft, 2 F-16s from the 116 Fighter Wing (MT) and 4 F-4s from the 117 MT, which helped to promote the level of operational readiness, combat capability and cooperation of the participants in a bilateral and allied context.
