Deployed in the Indo-Pacific as part of its Clemenceau 25 mission , the carrier battle group (GAN) based around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is participating in the trilateral exercise Pacific Steller from February 7 to 18, 2025.
For this first edition of the exercise, fifteen units from the three participating nations are deployed in the Philippine Sea .
The Japan Self-Defense Force deployed the aircraft carrier Kaga , the destroyer Akizuki , and a P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, while the U.S. Navy deployed the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson , the three destroyers USS CGH Princeton , USS DDGH Sterett , and USS DDGH William P. Lawrence, as well as a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft.
The naval group deploys the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , two multi-mission frigates, an air defense frigate, a force supply ship and two Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft from the French Navy.
For 10 days, all units carry out high-level training in all areas of combat, whether anti-surface , anti-aircraft or anti-submarine , with the aim of strengthening their interoperability and mutual knowledge.
France, a resident country in the Indo-Pacific, works for a free, open and stable space through its forces pre-positioned in the area, its regular deployments from the mainland and through its regular participation in multilateral exercises in the region such as the La Pérouse 25 exercise.
With this mission with multiple interactions and objectives, the GAN demonstrates that it is a tool of naval superiority, power projection and autonomous situation assessment, capable of operating in a complex strategic environment. The deployment of this military capability underlines France’s commitment to freedom of action and maritime and air movement on all the seas and oceans of the globe.