Rafale aircraft seen on the deck of Charles de Gaulle during a stop at RSS Singapura - Changi Naval Base (IHS Markit/Ridzwan Rahmat)
A five-month operational deployment by the French Navy (Marine Nationale) known as Mission ‘Clemenceau’ has become a platform upon which the service enhances its interoperability with partners across the Asia-Pacific region, especially in high-tempo operations.
The matter was revealed by Rear Admiral Olivier Lebas, Commander of Task Force (TF) 473, during a briefing to reporters onboard the aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle while it was berthed alongside RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on 28 May.
Charles de Gaulle is currently heading the task force that includes the service’s Aquitaine-class frigate, FNS Provence , the Modified Georges Leygues-class frigate, FNS Latouche-Tréville , and a Rubis Améthyste-class submarine that was not disclosed. The carrier departed Toulon, France, in March 2019, and the port call in Singapore represents its first visit to city state since 2002.
During its journey towards Singapore, Charles de Gaulle and its strike group achieved a number of firsts for the service, including the most complex iteration of Exercise ‘Varuna’: an annual bilateral naval exercise between Marine Nationale and the Indian Navy.
The exercise, which was conducted off the coast of Goa, involved a combination of anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface mission scenarios for the first time, said Read Adm Lebas. Besides TF 473, also participating in the exercise was Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and its Shishumar (Type 209/1500)-class submarine, INS Shankul .
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