The
French Navy (Marine Nationale) announced that on 30 January 2016, U.S.
Navy Rear Admiral Bret C. Batchelder, Commander of Carrier Strike Group
8 (CSG 8) and Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group visited French
aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to meet his counterpart,
French Navy Rear Adm. Rene-Jean Crignola, Commander Task Force (CTF)
50.
USS Harry S Truman and Charles de Gaulle aircraft
carriers are currently deployed in the Arabian/Persian Gulf in support
of coalition operations against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. |
The purpose of this visit was to strengthen the relationships between
the officers of the two carrier strike groups as prat of the Dual Carrier
Operations.
For many years, the French CSG has developed a high level of interoperability
with its US counterparts, leading to a strengthened cooperation and
integration with the Truman CSG for several weeks now. At the
end of 2015, France had been asked by the US to compensate for the absence
of a US CSG in the Persian Gulf. Formed around the aircraft carrier
Charles de Gaulle, the French CSG is deployed in the area since
18 December 2015. This unprecedented cooperation at this level of integration,
highlights the great trust between the American and French armed forces. |