Eurasia Press & News
France reiterates its “commitment to respect for freedom of navigation” and be ready to intervene “effectively in the event of a violation of international law” with new operation in the Mediterranean Sea.
The French Defense Ministry announced an operation, called Medor, at the end of September in the Mediterranean Sea. The surface action group (SAG) is made up of three frigates which converged on the return from operation: the stealth light frigate FLF La Fayette (F-710) (returning from Operation Chammal , deployed in Syria-Iraq against the terrorist groups of the Islamic State), the anti-submarine frigate FASM Latouche-Tréville (D-646), which has just completed its mandate in the maritime operation of the UE (EUNAVOR Med Irini), the FDA Forbin (D-620) air defense frigate which commands the group.
In addition, there are two air assets that support this group, Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft, currently deployed in Sweden (Greece) and an E3-F Awacs air surveillance aircraft from the Air Force.
According to a report published on Bruxelles2 by its editor Nicolas Gros-Verheyde it is up to the ships to first establish “the air-sea tactical situation” while air assets “extend the area covered” and, with the diversity of sensors, “consolidate the characterization of activities in the area”.
Several flights of on-board helicopters – the NH90 du Forbin (which belongs to patrol 31F) and Panther du La Fayette (which belongs to patrol 36F) have taken place.
The objective is threefold according to the army staff: “Improve the autonomous assessment” of the situation in this “vast theater” which is “of certain strategic importance”; demonstrate “in an ostensible way the presence of France” in the area and its “commitment to respect for freedom of navigation” and be ready to intervene “effectively in the event of a violation of international law”.
The target is not indicated, said Gros-Verheyde but it is very clear: it is Turkey and its drilling in the Greek or Cypriot maritime areas. Ankara thus issued a new navigation message (Navtex) at the end of October, extending the action of its three drilling and seismographic research vessels: Oruc Reis, Ataman and Cengizhan. This under military protection. The Turkish Navy and Air Force also began an exercise in the area in early November (with the US Navy), called the ‘Blue Whale 2020’.
According to Gros-Verheyde “it should not be denied either that this naval air presence also has training value for crews in air and sea surveillance operations. This makes it possible to test the “reactivity” of the forces and the good coordination between air and maritime assets, but also to verify the correct “aggregation of the various assets and their immediate connectivity”.
