France Télévisions teams have been authorized to film the sailors of the aircraft carrier “Charles-de Gaulle” as the war rages on.
This text corresponds to a part of the transcription of the above report. Click on the video to watch it in its entirety.
What is the role of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the war in the Middle East? The aircraft, Rafale for example, prevent Iranian attacks on our allied countries, like Cyprus. When France Télévisions teams arrive on the aircraft carrier, an alert is ongoing. Focus and tension in the midst of the war in the Middle East, one of the Rafale aircraft must return urgently from a mission. The pilot will have to land urgently. It’s a race in the corridors and on the flight deck. The sailors have all been called back to their positions. “In any case, we prepare what is needed so that, in case of a crash, we can intervene to prepare the equipment,” explains one of them.
Concern is present in one of the control posts overlooking the runway. We understand that the Rafale in question has not been attacked, but it has a serious breakdown. The landing is finally successful. There is relief on board. “It’s a plane that came back with a breakdown, it’s a single-engine. The Rafale has two engines, and it arrived with one engine out of order,” explains a sailor. The Rafale Marine is the asset of the Charles de Gaulle. And it is at the request of President Macron that it is positioned in the eastern Mediterranean.
A pilot is preparing to take off towards the Syrian, Israeli, or Lebanese coasts. But his mission is purely defensive. He does not engage in combat against Iran, for example. Instead, he occupies and defends the maritime space. “It’s a mission in a particular area because there are a lot of tensions. It’s a mission that allows us to play a role as a buffer, to stabilize tensions just by our presence,” explains the pilot. Twelve Rafale aircraft will take off in the coming minutes. “What do you see that is special?” asks journalist Maryse Burgot. “There are ballistic missiles coming in. What we see in the media, we witness it live,” responds the pilot.
Since its arrival fifteen days ago, the Charles de Gaulle has not been targeted by Iranian missiles or drones. A captain, like all the other pilots, has not opened fire yet. He monitors the area, provides information on what is happening in the sky and at sea. The flight deck is constantly occupied. Pilots take off and land day and night.
The admiral who commands the entire carrier group is the most knowledgeable man in the eastern Mediterranean. “We can put planes in the air, and with radars in the air, we can see quite far. We can see all the way to Iran,” assures Rear Admiral Thibault de Possesse, commander of the carrier group.
Sailors ensure the safety of the Rafale aircraft when they return to the aircraft carrier. The operation is very delicate, they have to land on a surface smaller than a tennis court. It’s very precise, just like the geopolitical mission demanded of these men. “Their mission is to ensure the protection of French interests in the region, ensure the protection of European partners, notably Cyprus, and ensure the protection of French and European boats deployed in the area,” details a sailor.
Under the flight deck, it’s a maze for the 1,850 sailors through a very long corridor that seems to have no end. “What is this place called?” asks the journalist. A sailor responds, “It’s the 110-metre hurdles. Because there are obstacles every 10 metres. You have to avoid them like in the 110-metre hurdles.” The corridors lead to the two nuclear reactors of the ship.
The aircraft carrier is nuclear-powered. That’s why it moves so fast. And it’s a big advantage in this very sensitive area. To get closer to the reactor, you have to wear a special suit. Nuclear energy allows aircraft carriers to travel 1,000 km every 24 hours. It’s a huge advantage in times of war. “Like in the days of the Napoleonic armies, on the eve of Austerlitz, where he managed to cross all of Europe on foot, it’s a bit like what we can do with nuclear power. That is, we are able to walk at a very fast pace for a long time to surprise the enemy in a place where they do not expect us,” indicates a nuclear specialist.
During our last sunrise on board, like every morning, the choreography of the pick-up is set up. The entire flight deck is inspected by men. “We check that there are no objects lying around on the deck. It could be sucked into an engine on the flight deck and that could have catastrophic consequences,” explain the sailors. A few pieces of metal or tar are picked up. The mission can now continue for as long as this war lasts.
