Charles de Gaulle (R91; ) is the flagship of the French Navy. Commissioned in 2001, the ship is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United States Navy. It is named after French president and general Charles de Gaulle.
The ship carries a complement of Dassault Rafale M and E-2C Hawkeye aircraft, AS365F Dauphin Pedro, EC725 Caracal and AS532 Cougar helicopters for combat search and rescue, as well as modern electronics and Aster missiles. She is a CATOBAR-type carrier that uses two C13‑3 steam catapults of a shorter version of the catapult system installed on the US aircraft carriers, one at the bow and one at the waist. The catapults on Charles de Gaulle allow it to operate F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and C-2 Greyhounds of the United States Navy.
Development
Construction
The carrier replaced , a conventionally powered aircraft carrier, in 2001. and Foch were completed in 1961 and 1963 respectively; the requirement for a replacement was identified in the mid-1970s.
The hull was laid down in April 1989 at the DCN Brest naval shipyard. The carrier was launched in May 1994 and at 42,000 tonnes (full load) On 18 May 1987, the name of the ship was changed to Charles de Gaulle by the Gaullist Prime Minister Jacques Chirac. Total costs for the vessel would top €3 billion. Work on the ship was suspended altogether on four occasions: 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1995.
In 1993, it was alleged by The Guardian that a group of engineers inspecting the vessel during her construction were British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) operatives, believed to have been learning the method of shielding the nuclear reactors, amongst other technical details. The newspaper published a denial by both the British government and the Direction de la surveillance du territoire (DST) (in English: Directorate of Territorial Surveillance) that there had been any incident.
Trials and technical problems
thumb|upright=1.3|left| (top), the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and Charles de Gaulle (bottom), at that time the newest nuclear carrier, both steaming in the Mediterranean Sea on 16 May 2001.
Charles de Gaulle entered sea trials in 1999 which identified the need to extend the flight deck to safely operate the E-2C Hawkeye. Although the supplier, Atlantic Industrie, was not believed to have intentionally been at fault, it was nevertheless blamed for poor-quality construction. Not long after the French defence minister ordered an investigation on quality management, a fire destroyed the archives of the supplier. As a temporary solution, the less advanced spare propellers of Clemenceau were used, limiting the maximum speed to instead of the contractual . Several improvements were also made, including the installation of new propellers. These allow Charles de Gaulle to reach her design speed of 27 knots, replacing the propellers used since 2001. Aircraft maintenance and weapons stores were also upgraded to allow the operation of new Rafale F3 fighters armed with ASMP-A nuclear missiles and SCALP EG cruise missiles, and satellite communications bandwidth will be increased tenfold. This refit increased displacement to 42,500 tonnes
The aircraft carrier underwent an 18-month midlife upgrade and refit begun in February 2017 and returned to service in September 2018. The nuclear reactor was refuelled, standard maintenance was completed, and the ship's combat system was modernized, to better communicate with allies and support the Rafale fighters employed by the carrier.
Operational service
thumb|Command bridge of Charles de Gaulle
On 11 October 2001, the frigate , four AWACS aircraft and Charles de Gaulle were involved in a successful trial of the Link 16 high-bandwidth secure data network. The network allows real-time monitoring of the airspace from the south of England to the Mediterranean Sea. The collected data were also transmitted in real-time to the frigate through the older MIL-STD-6011 system.
thumb|A rare occurrence of a 5-country multinational fleet of the NATO countries, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom, during [[Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea]]
Afghanistan
On 21 November 2001, France sent Charles de Gaulle to the Indian Ocean in support of Operation Enduring Freedom against Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Task Force 473, with 2,900 personnel under the command of Contre-Amiral François Cluzel, sailed on 1 December. The task force was composed of Charles de Gaulle, frigates , and Jean Bart, the nuclear attack submarine , the tanker and the . Embarked air power comprised sixteen Super Étendards, one E-2C Hawkeye, two Rafale Ms, and several helicopters. The Super Étendards carried out their first missions above Afghanistan on 19 December, executing reconnaissance and bombing missions, covering over . Approximately 770 sorties were carried out from the carrier.
From February 2002, the air wings of Charles de Gaulle and landed on each other's decks as a means of strengthening the ties between the allies. On 18 February 2002, a Helios observation satellite spotted abnormal activities near Gardez. The next day, after American Special Forces in the region confirmed these observations, Charles de Gaulle launched two reconnaissance Super Étendards. On 20 February 2002, British and US forces entered the valley and Operation Anaconda began in early March 2002. In March, Super Étendards and six land-based Mirage 2000 aircraft carried out airstrikes against targets claimed to be al Qaeda. A few targets suggested by US forces were denied out of fear of hitting civilians. French involvement was complimented on 11 March 2002 by US President George W. Bush, who mentioned "our good ally, France, has deployed nearly one-fourth of its navy to support Operation Enduring Freedom". At this point, the French air complement had been increased to 16 Super Étendards, 6 Mirage 2000 D, 5 Rafales, and 2 Hawkeye AWACS. On 2 May, Charles de Gaulle arrived in Singapore for relief, and returned to Oman on 18 May.
Indian-Pakistani crisis
thumb|A [[Grumman C-2 Greyhound|C-2 Greyhound aircraft of the US Navy catches the wire aboard Charles de Gaulle in 2002.]]
In June 2002 while Charles de Gaulle was in the Arabian Sea, armed Rafale fighters conducted combat air patrols with the United States Navy off the coasts of India and Pakistan, marking a significant point in the Rafale M's operational career and its integration with the carrier.
Continuing operations
Charles de Gaulle participated in further actions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2005. She returned to Southwest Asia in May 2006 and shortly after supported coalition efforts over Afghanistan. The aircraft carrier regularly participates in the annual bilateral naval exercises between the Indian and French navies called 'Varuna'.
thumb|Charles de Gaulle refitting in the southwestern dock of Vauban industrial zone in 2008
Fifth overseas deployment: Task Force 473 and Operation Agapanthus 2010
A French naval task group, designated Task Force 473, led by Charles de Gaulle departed Toulon on 30 October 2010 for a four-month deployment, code-named Operation Agapanthus 2010, to the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. The task group also included the frigates and ; the nuclear attack submarine ; the replenishment oiler Meuse, 3,000 sailors, and an Embarked Aviation Group (EAG) consisting of 12 Super Étendard attack aircraft, 10 Rafale multi-role fighters, and two E-2C Hawkeye 2000 AEW aircraft.
thumb|Rafale number 9 on the flight deck of Charles de Gaulle
On 28 November 2010, according to an Associated Press dispatch, the French Ministry of Defence announced that a French Rafale fighter jet crashed near Charles de Gaulle, which was operating off the coast of Pakistan in the Arabian Sea in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan. The pilot parachuted to safety and was picked up by helicopter, and , the cause of the crash was under investigation.
In December 2010, during its deployment to the Persian Gulf, the British Type 22 frigate and the United States destroyer rotated from maritime security patrol to escort Charles de Gaulle in support of coalition military operations in Afghanistan. This represented an example of interoperability pursuant to the recently ratified Anglo-French defence cooperation treaty.
Between 7–14 January 2011, Task Force 473 participated in bilateral naval exercises, code-named Varuna 10, with the Indian Navy. Indian naval units participating in Varuna 10 included the aircraft carrier , the frigates and ; and the diesel-electric submarine . Varuna 10 was a two-phase naval exercise, with the harbour phase taking place between 7–11 January and the sea phase between 11 and 14 January in the Arabian Sea. Task Force 473 paid a port visit to Goa between 7–14 January 2011. The carrier Charles de Gaulle and the frigate Forbin also paid a goodwill visit to Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, on 30 January 2011, docking at its container terminal facilities.
Operation Agapanthus 2010 concluded on 21 February 2011. Task Force 473 completed more than 1,000 flying hours flown from Charles de Gaulle in support of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed in Afghanistan. Task Force 473 also participated in bilateral exercises with armed forces of India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to test the interoperability of French military forces and share expertise with the regional partners. Accompanying Charles de Gaulle were the frigates and and the fleet replenishment tanker Meuse.
During Unified Protector, the air fleet had flown 1,350 sorties during the intervention in Libya. Charles de Gaulle was then withdrawn for maintenance at Toulon on 10 August.
Following this deployment, Charles de Gaulle underwent maintenance and upkeep during an at-sea underway period in December 2011.
2012 FANAL exercises
On 2 February 2012, Charles de Gaulle was underway for three days of sea trials. Beginning on 5 February 2012, carrier qualifications began for the pilots of its air group. This included transitioning of pilots flying Super Étendard Modernisé (SEM) strike fighters to the new Rafale M fighters. Charles de Gaulles task force was under the overall command of Rear Admiral Philippe Coindreau, and it consisted of the frigates , Dupleix, , and ; the replenishment ship Meuse; and the nuclear-powered submarine Émeraude. Charles de Gaulles embarked air group consisted of 7 Rafale fighters, 7 Super Étendards Modernisés (SEM) strike fighters, and 2 E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft.
Operations against Islamic State
thumb|Chairman U.S. JCS General [[Martin Dempsey visits Charles de Gaulle, 2015]]
thumb|A [[Eurocopter Dauphin on the deck of Charles de Gaulle]]
In January 2015, Charles de Gaulle began being prepared for exercises in the Indian Ocean. In late February, the carrier and its battle group entered the Persian Gulf to participate in Opération Chammal against Islamic State militants in Iraq. France was the first country to join the American-led intervention and has 15 fighters, a patrol aircraft, and refuelling aircraft based on land in neighbouring countries. The addition of Charles de Gaulle added up to another 30 aircraft to France's commitment to operations. The carrier battle group arrived in the Persian Gulf on 15 February 2015 and began launching airstrikes on 22 February; this occurred seven weeks after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, as France vowed to be more responsive to jihadist terrorism. Sailing off the north coast of Bahrain, the carrier's 12 Rafale and 9 Super Étendard fighters could reach targets in half the time it would take French fighters based in the United Arab Emirates. Charles de Gaulle left the Persian Gulf in late-April 2015 after launching strike and surveillance missions against IS targets to participate in exercises with the Indian military; the carrier launched 10–15 sorties per day during its two-month deployment.
On 5 November 2015, France announced Charles de Gaulle would return to the area to conduct operations and the ship departed from its base at Toulon on 18 November. Although originally planned to redeploy to the Persian Gulf, the carrier and its strike group was re-routed to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea off the Syrian coastline, much closer to targets within Syria. Sources claimed Charles de Gaulle had a larger than normal air wing of 26 fighters consisting of 18 Rafales and 8 Super Étendards; the carrier had approximately 31–34 aircraft total (the official limit is 40 aircraft). The carrier began operations on 23 November 2015, ten days after the ISIL terrorist attacks in Paris. On 7 December, Rear Admiral René-Jean Crignola of the French Maritime Force, embarked in Charles de Gaulle, took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command's Task Force 50, leading coalition naval strike operations. He was the first non-American to do so. In June 2016, the United States Navy awarded the crew of Charles de Gaulle a Meritorious Unit Commendation for its accomplishments.
In late September 2016, Charles de Gaulle was deployed from Toulon to the Syrian coast for the Battle of Mosul. Its squadron of 24 Rafale M aircraft supported the international coalition against ISIL through airstrikes and reconnaissance missions.
In 2020, while continuing Opération Chammal in the Eastern Mediterranean, Charles de Gaulle was joined by the United States Navy . They joined forces on Operation Inherent Resolve, an international coalition against the Daesh. Throughout the mission, the carrier strike group was joined by allied navy vessels from Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands and Portugal. The cooperation illustrated common operational efficiency in the Mediterranean. During the operation, the Charles de Gaulle carrier group, its 2,000-member crew, a and a Hellenic Navy frigate docked at the Port of Limassol for a five-day port call. The President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, and ambassador Isabelle Dumont addressed the aircraft crew in the presence of Captain Guillaume Pinget.
Mission Clemenceau
The aircraft carrier led the carrier strike group Task Force 473 on a five-month long operation that began in March 2019, through the Mediterranean Sea. Aircraft from Charles de Gaulle participated in the last major combat against the Islamic State in the Battle of Baghuz Fawqani and then sailed for the Indian Ocean. Arriving in Singapore on 28 May, the aircraft carrier participated in a bilateral exercise with the Singapore Armed Forces.
COVID-19 pandemic
In April 2020, 40 crew members began to show symptoms of COVID-19, requiring Charles de Gaulle to return to her home port at Toulon earlier than planned, as reported on 8 April by the Ministry of Armed Forces. After 66 tests were conducted, the ministry announced on 10 April that 50 tests had returned positive. Three sailors were evacuated by helicopter to . On 19 April, The New York Times reported that 1,081 crew members in the carrier's naval group had tested positive, nearly all of which were on board Charles de Gaulle. The figure equated to nearly 60 percent of the carrier's total complement.
On 11 May 2020, Florence Parly reported to the National Assembly the conclusions of two investigations