France’s Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group (CSG) has concluded a major exercise off the southern coast of France, called ‘PEAN 2019’, which featured international participation for the first time.
A French Rafale M fighter lands on Charles de Gaulle during ‘PEAN 2019’. (Jane’s/Emmanuel Huberdeau)
The French-led maritime exercise, which was carried out from 25 November to 6 December, was designed to enhance the operational capability of the French CSG, also known as Task Force 473, as well as strengthening interoperability and partnerships between participating navies.
Twelve French Navy vessels took part in the exercise in addition to three foreign vessels that included the US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross , Spanish Navy Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate SPS Blas de Lezo , and the Italian Navy Bergamini-class frigate ITS Luigi Rizzo .
Speaking to Jane’s , CSG commander Admiral Aussedat said the presence of allied assets within Task Force 473 had become a regular feature in recent years. As a result, the French Navy had decided to include foreign vessels in its pre-deployment training for the first time during ‘PEAN 2019’.
The Charles de Gaulle CSG is planning to deploy in 2020, although the destination and timeframes for the mission have not yet been officially announced. According to Adm Aussedat, the mission will focus on co-operation with allied navies.
From March to July Charles de Gaulle
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