Pacific Steller saw the USS Carl C. Vinson, FNS Charles De Gaulle and JS Kaga involved in a Multi-Large Deck Event near the Philippine Sea, with both joint naval operations and cross-deck flight operations.
The MLDE (Multi-Large Deck Event) between the U.S Navy, the French Navy (Marine Nationale) and the JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force), as a part of Exercise Pacific Steller near the Philippine Sea, saw massive cross-deck flight operations with the carriers and flying assets of the three navies, as well as joint naval maneuvers.
The drills, which began on Feb. 8, 2025, and concluded on Feb. 18, saw a series of other maneuvers including formation sailing, mid-sea refueling with replenishment tankers and visits of senior officers on the carriers of the navies.
Aircraft and ships from the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, French Carrier Strike Group, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and U.S. Military Sealift Command transit the Philippine Sea in formation during #PacificSteller2025, Feb. 12.#USNavy | #AlliesAndPartners pic.twitter.com/9iB3Uq98Ee
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) February 15, 2025
An operation, seen in a video released by the French Joint Staff, saw a Rafale Marine F4 providing aerial refueling in support of an F/A18F Super Hornet. Another highlight of the video was a U.S. Navy CMV-22 Osprey operating off from the FNS Charles De Gaulle. A Japanese SH-60 helicopter also operated from the French carrier.
PACIFIC STELLER | Multi-domain operations between 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇫🇷 forces.
A joint commitment to regional stability for the benefit of a free and open Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/tlkf4tvDdU
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Staff – Military operations (@FrenchForces) February 18, 2025
The exercise also had the French Rafales operate from the USS Carl C. Vinson and U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets landing and taking off from the FNS Charles De Gaulle. The Super Hornets, E/A-18G Growlers, F-35C Lightning IIs, CMV-22 Ospreys and E-2 Hawkeyes, all within the broader CVW-2 (Carrier Air Wing 2), also flew together with the Rafales during the exercise.
JS Kaga during Pacific Steller
Notably, the JS Kaga completed an extensive modification and reconstruction of its flight deck by Apr. 2024, adopting a new rectangular flight deck to replace the original trapezoidal one. This is to be able to operate the STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing) F-35B Lightning IIs, 42 of which were originally scheduled to be delivered by late 2024.
Train together. Prevail together. 🇯🇵🤝🇫🇷
📸 Advanced coordination between @JMSDF_PAO & @French_CSG during PACIFIC STELLER.
Ability to operate alongside a friend to promote a shared dedication to regional stability. #FOIP pic.twitter.com/vzYrgt4itj
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Staff – Military operations (@FrenchForces) February 17, 2025
The JS Izumo is undergoing similar modification work, while the JS Kaga completed trials with the F-35B in Oct. 2024. The JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) already operates the CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and Landing) F-35A.
Même normes et haut niveau de performance. 🇺🇸⚓️🇫🇷
📸 F-18 & V22 🇺🇸 de l’@USNavy à bord du @French_CSG.
➡️Opérations aéromaritimes conjointes avec les forces @INDOPACOM : volonté commune de préserver un espace indopacifique libre, ouvert et stable. pic.twitter.com/qE69JzikTw
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) February 13, 2025
The JMSDF said on Feb. 18 that it “completed joint training with the U.S. and French navies,” as Pacific Steller ended. “Through this training, we were able to further deepen the cooperation we have cultivated in the Indo-Pacific region,” the service added.
The French Joint Staff called the Exercise Pacific Steller an “advanced coordination between the JMSDF and the French Carrier Strike Group,” lending an “ability to operate alongside a friend to promote a shared dedication to regional stability.”
Rafale Marine refuels F/A-18 Super Hornet
Unfortunately, not many details are available about the Rafale Marine refueling the Super Hornets except for the short video released by the Marine Nationale and a photo included in the press release. The latter also shown an F-35C behind the Rafale, but it’s not clear if it was also waiting to be refueled.
Earlier, as for the U.S. and French jets joint operations, U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet from the VFA 81 “Sunliners” refueled two Marine Nationale Super Etendard Marine and a Rafale Marine in Mar. 2015 over the Persian Gulf, as reported by The Aviationist. It is unclear if the U.S. Navy Super Hornet has already been refueled by a Rafale Marine in the past or if this was the first time.
#PartnersAndFriends for the sake of peace and stability. Here as well as anywhere else, 🇫🇷 Rafale Marine operating from #USSVINSON during #PS2025. pic.twitter.com/C91RDr1ig2
— The 🇫🇷 Joint Staff – Military operations (@FrenchForces) February 16, 2025
The Rafale Marine has also operated off other U.S carriers in the past, like the USS George H.W. Bush in Nov. 2022 during multicarrier operations in the Ionian Sea under the 6th Fleet in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe’s area of operations. Prior to that, in Mar. 2020, both the FNS Charles De Gaulle and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carriers hosted F/A-18E Super Hornets and Rafales during exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.
Ospreys, meanwhile, have landed on the French carrier before, but these were U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys in Apr. 2019 in the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet AOR (Area of Operations).
Ships in Pacific Steller 2025
The U.S Navy 7th Fleet said on Feb. 6, 2025, that the “MLDE is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations, promoting a shared dedication to regional stability.”
U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to squadrons embarked with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), conduct flight operations aboard the French aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R 91) during #PacificSteller2025 Feb. 10.
📸 by MC3 Nate Jordan#USNavy pic.twitter.com/E0gzmsZCqN
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) February 16, 2025
The FNS Charles De Gaulle, meanwhile, sailed from its home base at Toulon in France on Nov. 28, 2024 as a part of the Clemenceau 25 deployment. It was deployed in the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Ocean for nearly a month, before heading to southeast Asia where it took part in exercises with the Indonesian, Indian, Malaysian and Singaporean navies, among others.
Force à la mer ⚓️🌊
📸 3 géants des mer 🇺🇸🇯🇵🇫🇷 engagés dans Pacific Steller.
Ensemble pour garantir le libre accès aux espaces communs dans une approche fondée sur le droit international. pic.twitter.com/8k2STh8yaP
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) February 14, 2025
The USS Carl Vinson led the CSG-1, comprising the USS Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Princeton, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett and USS William P. Lawrence. The French CSG included 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.
#かが 及び #あきづき は米海軍 #ｶｰﾙｳﾞｨﾝｿﾝ🇺🇸及び仏海軍 #ｼｬﾙﾙﾄﾞｺﾞｰﾙ🇫🇷を含む艦艇部隊との共同訓練に参加中。🇫🇷の #CSG 派遣は #自由で開かれたインド太平洋 という価値観を共有している象徴です。海自は🇺🇸🇫🇷海軍との連携を更に強化し、地域の平和と安定に貢献していきます #FOIP pic.twitter.com/HIJltRWPzJ
— 防衛省 海上自衛隊 (@JMSDF_PAO) February 13, 2025
The other ship from JMSDF, beside the JS Kaga, was the Akizuki-class destroyer JS Akizuki (DD 115). The last similar MLDE exercise was held in Aug. 2024, with the USS Abraham Lincoln training with the Italian Navy before the carrier strike group was ordered to the Middle East.
