The French aircraft carrier "Charles De Gaulle" sailed on Friday to the K14 pier of Marathi at the Souda Naval Base in Crete.
The behemoth of the French fleet has arrived in Crete to take part in an exercise carried out within the framework of the Greek-French agreement. Its arrival confirms once again the important geostrategic role of Greece and Souda, Nea Kriti reported.
The aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" is the flagship of the French navy and the largest warship in Europe.
It is France's first nuclear-powered warship, which enables it to travel for at least 10-15 years without refueling, the first nuclear-powered ever built in Europe, and the first built outside the US.
It is the tenth aircraft carrier in French history, but the first nuclear-powered surface aircraft carrier outside the United States. It has been in the possession of the French Navy since 2000.
The French aircraft carrier is a platform for complex offensive or reconnaissance operations, as in addition to the Rafale M, electronic warfare and Hawkeye early warning aircraft operate, it also operates rescue helicopters.
It is a catobar-type aircraft carrier and uses a system of steam-propelled or electric catapults, which help the aircraft reach the necessary recovery speed.
A system of catching the aircraft is used for the mooring, which carry hooks, and which are held during the mooring by wire ropes spread on the flight deck.
In fact, the "Charles de Gaulle" is the only non-American aircraft carrier in the world that is responsible for transporting American aircraft, such as the F/ A-18E Super Hornet or the C-2 Greyhound.
About a year ago he had sailed again to Piraeus. It had arrived at Falirikos bay off the Zea marina on March 24, 2022 and stayed for one day, while on the 26th of the same month it had sailed again to Souda.
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