6th Fleet Focus: Rafale's Fly Off US Carriers

The USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) is on its way home from a 6 month deployment in the Middle East, but before leaving the Mediterranean Sea, the US Navy is conducting an exercise with France Rafale's.

Images courtesy of Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes. Click pictures for link to Hi-Resolution on the Navy's website.


As we have previously discussed in detail here, the French blog Secret Défense reported last six to eight Rafale's of the flotilla 12 F and two Hawkeyes of the flotilla 4F are expected to embark on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in July of this year. There were also rumors from TTUOnline last year that French Rafale's would embark on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) later this year as well, but that has not been confirmed anywhere else.

It is unclear if the French will only be participating in the exercises with the Roosevelt or if they intend to deploy with the Carrier when it makes its scheduled 6 month deployment. With the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) currently in extended maintenance, the French pilots can only train landings and launches from either a US aircraft carrier or the Brazilian aircraft carrier Sao Paulo, which is currently in maintenance itself.

Update: Hat Tip reader FL, who has video here of the French flying on the Truman here. Good stuff. He also has details via this link on the French activity in July on the coast of Norfolk.