A French sailor inadvertently disclosed the location of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle by logging a run on the fitness app Strava. The sailor used a smartwatch to track a 4.3-mile, 35-minute jog on the vessel's deck, which was publicly uploaded immediately after the workout, according to Le Monde.
The French newspaper verified the leak using satellite imagery captured shortly after the exercise, confirming the carrier's position northwest of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. The Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy and the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier not operated by the US military.
France's Armed Forces General Staff stated that uploading the run violated current directives on digital security and that appropriate measures would be taken. Le Monde reported that at least one other crew member aboard a French naval vessel had also publicly uploaded a geolocated workout.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the region, as the US and Israel are engaged in conflict with Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron ordered the carrier's deployment to the Mediterranean on 3 March, four days before the sailor's exercise. Macron delivered a speech aboard the carrier, asserting France's role as a balancing power for peace.
France has deployed eight warships and two helicopter carriers to the region, surpassing most Western allies in scale. In a joint statement, France, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Japan pledged to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commended the restraint shown by France and its European allies.
