French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Refines Self-Defense with Anti-Drone Exercise.

According to information published by the French MoD on November 12, 2024, in a recent high-intensity anti-drone defense exercise, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle collaborated with the 31F Flotilla to refine critical skills in combating unmanned aerial threats.
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The French Navy's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. (Picture source: NATO)

Countering drone threats from an aircraft carrier involves a layered defense strategy, integrating advanced detection, interception, and neutralization capabilities to address a broad range of unmanned aerial threats. Carriers rely heavily on sophisticated radar and sensor networks, such as AN/SPY-6 or AESA radars, capable of detecting small, fast-moving drones at considerable distances. To enhance accuracy, these radar systems work alongside infrared and electro-optical sensors, providing comprehensive tracking even in challenging environmental conditions. Artificial intelligence further augments this capability by analyzing flight patterns, categorizing drones by threat level, and enabling the defense team to prioritize their responses effectively.

Electronic warfare (EW) plays a pivotal role in countering drones, with systems like the AN/SLQ-32 or SEWIP being instrumental in jamming communication links or disrupting GPS signals. Such jamming tactics are particularly effective against drone swarms that aim to overwhelm carrier defenses. In addition, EW systems can employ spoofing techniques, confusing a drone’s navigation system by altering its GPS or control signals, which often leads to the drone crashing or veering off course.

Carriers are also equipped with kinetic and non-kinetic interceptors to neutralize drones that breach outer detection layers. Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS), such as Phalanx or SeaRAM, provide robust short-range defenses, using rapid-fire projectiles or missiles to engage small, low-flying drones. In parallel, directed energy weapons (DEWs), such as lasers or high-power microwaves, offer scalable responses, incinerating or disabling drones at close range with precision. Anti-air missiles, like the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile or ESSM, are deployed against larger drones that could carry explosives or reconnaissance equipment, providing a longer-range engagement option.

Defensive drone systems add an additional layer of response, allowing carriers to deploy their own UAVs to intercept and neutralize hostile drones before they reach the fleet. Defensive drones are often used in swarm-on-swarm tactics to counter incoming drone swarms. These swarms of defensive drones coordinate their actions to intercept hostile UAVs effectively, using either kinetic force or electronic jamming.

The success of counter-drone operations depends on an integrated command and control (C2) system that centralizes communication between detection, EW, and weapon systems. This networked C2 system ensures rapid coordination, allowing operators to manage multiple threats in real-time. Carriers also communicate securely with their escorting vessels, creating a unified defense that maximizes the chance of intercepting hostile drones. Regular training and simulation exercises simulate a variety of drone threats, such as swarm attacks and complex flight maneuvers, ensuring that crews are prepared for a range of possible scenarios.

Overall, a multi-layered defense, combining early detection, electronic warfare, kinetic interceptors, and networked command systems, is critical for carriers to protect themselves against the evolving challenges of drone warfare.