Eisenhower Strike Group of the U.S. Navy participates exercises with French Navy

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and the French Navy conducted a bilateral, interoperability exercise in the North Arabian Sea April 25- 26, the U.S. Navy announced.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE), guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and FS Forbin (D620), operating under national tasking, participated in formation steaming, an air defense exercise and a surface gunnery exercise.

Earlier this year, IKE and the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91) and its escorts participated in cross-deck interoperability exercises in the Mediterranean Sea.

The three ships have been at sea for extended periods. As a precautionary measure against the global pandemic coronavirus, no cross-deck of personnel between the ships occurred during the exercise. The close relationship between the U.S. and French navies and familiarity with each other’s procedures supports execution of rapid integration exercises such as this.

IKE Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations conducting maritime security operations in international waters alongside our allies and partners.

The ships and aircraft of IKE strike group and the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), include flagship USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), the eight squadrons and staff of Carrier Air Wing (CVW), and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26.