The Grand Nord, a region facing very broad challenges

The first part of the mission's strategic deployment was located in the Atlantique Ocean between the Afrique zone and Amérique latine. The presence of the Groupe in this area aimed to ensure maritime security, in particular with missions to fight drug trafficking, notably with the Armada de Colombie. The French armed forces have developed, with the Brazilian armed forces, a collaboration that contributes to regional security. Many challenges were shared, including border surveillance, maritime security, and the fight against illicit trafficking. This cooperation resulted in the holding of a joint amphibious exercise in Fortaleza, which is part of the continuity of the actions undertaken last year with the FORTALEZA 25 exercise.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

After its activities with Brésil and a passage in the Caraïbes zone with Colombie, the Groupe continued its mission along Amérique du Nord. Indeed, the Marine nationale maintains a high level of interoperability with the US Navy. They are engaged in the development of common skills and strategic reflections, and they collaborate closely within OTAN. The strategic partnership uniting them allows for the conduct of major cooperation exercises, particularly in the context of the mission or the deployment of the Groupe aéronaval (GAN). On this occasion, the Marine nationale and the US Navy participated, in addition to the many planned interactions, in the CHESAPEAKE25 exercise off the American coast. This exercise highlighted the capacity for joint planning of the two armies and their interoperability. The mission will end in the Grand Nord, a region facing very broad challenges, particularly in the areas crossed. This will result in bilateral or multilateral cooperation within the framework of OTAN and in a hardened international context. The Atlantique Nord has seen its strategic importance grow since the 2010s. Thus, France monitors the evolution of the dynamics at work while maintaining active cooperation with Scandinavian countries. Norvège is a privileged partner in the zone, with which France maintains a dynamic cooperation in the maritime domain, which will materialize with the holding of the bilateral exercise NJORD25.

MORE THAN 100 DAYS AT SEA

At the end of the mission, the student officers will participate in the ETENDARD25 synthesis exercise, which applies all the technical and operational know-how acquired during these 5 months of intense deployment. For future officers of the Marine, the mission represents the culmination of two and a half years of training within the École navale in Lanvéoc-Poulmic (29), the grande école of the French military Marine. This mission takes its name from the first helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc, on which the deployment was carried out. For more than five months, the student officers carry out more than 100 days at sea, punctuated by watch hours, international exercises, operations, and instructional periods provided by the crews of the two vessels and by their instructors from the École d'application des officiers de Marine (EAOM).

Amiral Nicolas Vaujour, Chief of Staff of the Marine (July 2024).