The two Atlantique 2s will take part in the La Perouse 2025 exercise in the Indonesian archipelago together with the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its Carrier Strike Group, which is currently sailing in the area as part of the Clemenceau 25 deployment to the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific.
Two French Navy’s (Marine Nationale) Breguet Atlantique 2 (ATL2) Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) arrived in Indonesia on Jan. 11, 2025, along with an A400M of the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace), in a rare deployment to the area. The three aircraft landed at Kertajati Airport in West Java, after departing their home at Lann-Bihoué naval air base on Jan. 7.
The two ATL2 aircraft made three logistical stopovers in Greece, United Arab Emirates and India along the 7,800 nautical miles and the 30 hours of flight needed to reach Indonesia. The aircraft joined the French Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group (CSG) which is in the area on its Clemenceau 25 deployment and is scheduled to take part in the massive La Perouse 2025 exercise underway around the Indonesian archipelago.
🇮🇩🇫🇷 Two French Atlantique 2 MPAs and one A400M landed at Kertajati Airport in West Java (cmiiw) last Saturday (11/1) as part of French Carrier Strike Group @French_CSG upcoming visit to Indonesia
📸 @FranceJakartaID https://t.co/pvxss20cWJ pic.twitter.com/rrtMl7VhT7
— JATOSINT (@Jatosint) January 14, 2025
Coincidentally, a few days after the two ATL2s arrived in Indonesia, between Jan. 15 and 16 the same type of aircraft was reportedly targeted by a Russian S-400 radar during a night flight over the Baltic Sea, as reported by French officials and other media. France is currently looking to replace its fleet of 22 ageing Atlantique 2s, recently upgraded to the standard 6 configuration, as part of the Patmar program, with Airbus unveiling a scale model of the A321 MPA in Nov. 2024.
Après 7800 nautiques, 30 heures de vol et 3 escales logistiques en 🇬🇷🇦🇪🇮🇳, l’Atlantique 2 est arrivé en 🇮🇩 dans le cadre de la mission #CLEMENCEAU25 où il participera à l’exercice multinational #LAPEROUSE25 qui vise à assurer la sécurité maritime dans les détroits indonésiens. https://t.co/uIHRMEGBZs pic.twitter.com/lZ9ztVQpnd
— French Carrier Strike Group (@French_CSG) January 15, 2025
Clemenceau 25
The Charles de Gaulle CSG set sail for the Clemenceau 25 deployment from Toulon, France, on Nov. 28, 2024. The CSG, also referred to as Task Force 473, is led by the nuclear-powered FNS Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, accompanied by three French frigates, a supply ship, a submarine and several foreign vessels.
Reports have identified the ships as an Aquitaine-class FREMM ASW frigate, an air-defense FREMM frigate (possibly the Alsace), a Horizon-class air defense destroyer, a Suffren-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN); the supply ship Jacques Chevallier and a Loire-class metropolitan offshore support vessel.
The goal of the Clemenceau 25 deployment is to increase the interoperability and cooperation with partners and allies in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian and Pacific Oceans. France says that the CSG is being deployed in a complex strategic environment, but this nevertheless highlights the country’s commitment to the freedom of action and movement both at sea and in the air.
The French Navy said the CSG would contribute to NATO’s defensive and deterrent posture in the Mediterranean and Europe, as well as taking part in several exercises like Varuna in India, La Perouse in Indonesia and Pacific Steller in the Pacific Ocean near Guam.
After nearly a month of operations in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean, the CSG docked in India earlier in January, before proceeding to visit Indonesia to continue with the second part of the deployment.
La Perouse 25
Once in Indonesia, the Charles de Gaulle CSG commenced Exercise La Perouse. According to the French Joint Staff, La Perouse 2025, which will be held between Jan. 16 to Jan. 24, 2025, will have 13 naval vessels and 30 aircraft from nine nations.
In fact, multiple countries are participating, including India, which sent its destroyer INS Mumbai (arrived in Jakarta on Jan. 15), Canada, which sent the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa, the UK, with the River-class OPV HMS Spey, Malaysia with the corvette KD Lekir and the training ship KD Gagah Samudera, Australia with the destroyer HMAS Hobart, the U.S. with the LCS USS Savannah. Finally, and Singapore with the LMV RSN Independence.
#LAPEROUSE25 kicks off !!
➡️ Multilateral cooperation 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇮🇳 🇮🇩 🇲🇾 🇬🇧 🇸🇬 demonstrating a steadfast commitment to a #FreeAndOpenIndopacific.
➡️ Ensuring free access to common spaces through an approach based on respect for international law. pic.twitter.com/3fYeFPb6pT
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Staff – Military operations (@FrenchForces) January 16, 2025
The French CSG reported on Jan. 16 that the Jacques Chevallier docked in Singapore for a logistics stopover, marking a “first in Asia.” Whether it referred to the Jacques Chevallier ship or the Marine Nationale’s presence in the region, is not yet clear.
📍Indian Ocean | #CLEMENCEAU25
The 🇨🇵 @French_CSG is heading to India ! 🇮🇳
👉 Day and night, steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific ! pic.twitter.com/HZvz48xb5U
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Staff – Military operations (@FrenchForces) January 2, 2025
The main objectives of exercise are to “provide maritime safety with regional partners and multinational coalition assets in the 3 main straits detrimental to commercial shipping”, and “sharing information and coordinating their actions against multiple threats thanks to the communication and coordination system IORIS”. The drills would also train for “environmental and maritime incidents, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and HADR incidents like earthquakes and tsunamis.”
The first phase of La Perouse, from Jan. 16 to 20, focuses on crucial sea lanes like the Malacca and the Sunda Straits that connect the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, the two main straits of the area. The second phase, from Jan. 21 to 24, involves drills in the Lombok Strait.
#MondayMotivation | Fin des vacances : les batteries 🔋 ont été chargées !
📸Sarah Lacarrere/Marine nationale@french_CSG pic.twitter.com/mrqqjgy4cE
— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) January 6, 2025
Exercises with the Indian Navy
On Jan. 2, 2025, the French Joint Staff Military Operations announced that the Marine Nationale CSG was heading to India, with the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command sharing images of the nuclear-powered FNS Charles de Gaulle visiting Goa, along with its escort vessels, a frigate a submarine and supply ships, on Jan. 5.
The flotilla was said to be at the location from Jan. 3 to Jan. 9, 2025. The purpose of the visit was to “enhance interoperability, foster mutual understanding and strengthen mutual ties between the two navies.” The CSG exercised with the IN’s destroyer INS Mormugao and conducted cross-deck landings with helicopters, while the carrier-borne Rafale Marine flew with Indian Air Force Jaguars and two Su-30MKI fighters.
#CLEMENCEAU25 After a stopover in Goa and Kochi, the #French_CSG conducted sea and air activities with the @indiannavy ➡️Symbol of strong and sustainable cooperation between 🇫🇷🇮🇳 ahead of the 42nd annual bilateral #VARUNA exercise. https://t.co/TvlVt0Neo3 pic.twitter.com/mVbFLG8LEm
— French Carrier Strike Group (@French_CSG) January 10, 2025
The French Joint Staff described this as “multi-domain training” between the Indian and French air forces and the CSG for “bilateral military cooperation […] committed to Indo-Pacific stability.” India itself is set to acquire 26 units of the Rafale Marine (or Rafale M) in a Rs. 60,000 crore ($7.2 billion) deal that was confirmed by Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi in Dec. 2024.
#INSMormugao along with aircraft from #IndianAirForce participated in #IndianNavy led #MaritimePartnershipExercise with French Carrier Strike Group.
The ships undertook complex #maritime exercise including Joint Air Operations on the Western Seaboard.
These professional… pic.twitter.com/pKArS4JH4f
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 10, 2025
An Indian Navy Chetak (local designation of the French Alouette III) was photographed landing on the helicopter deck at the far stern of one of the French warships. Photos released by the Indian Navy on Jan. 10 show the fuel transfer at sea from the French fleet replenishment tanker/supply ship Jacques Chevallier to the INS Mormugao destroyer; a Marine Nationale NH90 helicopter flying over the two ships; and a French pilot being greeted by the commanding officer of the INS Mormugao. This suggests the helicopter landed on the warship for what is usually described in the Indian Navy as “cross-deck familiarization” for interoperability training.
📍#CLEMENCEAU25 | Multinational Ex #LAPEROUSE25 kicks off the straits of Malacca, Sunda and Lombok.
➡️Multilateral cooperation demonstrating 🇫🇷commitment to a rules-based, free, open and secure Indo-Pacific.
➡️Strengthening our strategic partnerships in the region. https://t.co/OEmqI8OFHD pic.twitter.com/Rr7hcLmSD8
— French Embassy in India 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@FranceinIndia) January 17, 2025
The small exercises with the Indian Navy off its western and southwestern seaboards near Goa and Kochi before La Perouse 25, also set the stage for the 42nd iteration of the larger bilateral Exercise Varuna.
