Charles de Gaulle remains south of Limassol, France denies plans to deploy to Red Sea

The French aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle is located south of Limassol, according to radar data.

Open-source intelligence website Itamilradar reported that reconnaissance drones belonging to the French navy had been spotted on radars flying south of Cyprus, thus indicating the ship’s position.

The drone used was a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 – a rotary-wing drone which is used for reconnaissance and surveillance, and which can take off and land directly from military vessels.

The locating of the ship comes after the French foreign ministry had at the weekend denied reports that it planned to deploy the Charles de Gaulle in the Red Sea and potentially to the Strait of Hormuz amid a deepening conflict in the Middle East.

“Let’s be clear. There is no change in posture, and the French aircraft carrier strike group remains deployed in the eastern Mediterranean,” the ministry said, before adding that France’s mission in the region is “defensive” and “protective”.

The Charles de Gaulle’s carrier strike group includes Italy’s Federico Martinego frigate, Spain’s Cristobal Colon frigate, and the Netherlands’ HNLMS Evertsen.

While no timeframe has been published regarding an eventual end to the group’s deployment, Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant had reported last week that the country’s government had stressed that the sending of its frigate will constitute “a limited deployment of a defensive nature, both geographically and in terms of time”.

The ship, it said, will remain in Cypriot waters until the beginning of next month.

French President Macron had visited the Charles de Gaulle last week after having paid a joint visit to Cyprus alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with Macron saying during that visit that the Charles de Gaulle is “now close to Cyprus to contribute to the overall defence picture, and to ensure it in the long term”.

Additionally, while in Cyprus, he did say that France wishes to “ensure the freedom of navigation and maritime safety in the eastern Mediterranean, where we are, and in the Red Sea”.

To this end, he said, “the French presence which will unfold from the eastern Mediterranean into the Red Sea and precisely off Hormuz will mobilise eight frigates, two amphibious helicopter carriers, and our aircraft carrier”.

“The mobilisation of our navy is unprecedented,” he added.

On Monday, United States President Donald Trump said he had conversed with Macron about the prospect of sending assets to the Strait or Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the Iranian government in response to the US’ decision to launch strikes on the country.

He said of Macron that “I think he’s going to help”, and that “on a scale of zero to ten, I’d say he’s been an eight”, adding, “not perfect, but it’s France”.

The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint between the most northerly point of Oman and Iran’s southern coast, which provides the only seaborne access between the Persian Gulf and the open ocean. Typically, around 20 per cent of global oil passes through the strait.