CdG, 10 years of active service !

Today is the 10th anniversary of the entry into active service of the first French Nuclear Aircraft carrier R91 Charles de Gaulle. Incidentally it is also the 10th Anniversary of the 12F squadron on Rafale M...

Despite several youth issues (damned propellers !), the CdG log during the last 10 years is quite impressive :

• 3 years and 6 months of non stop sailing
• 340,000 nm (16 times around the world)
• 25,000 carrier launch/landings
• Operated by some12000 sailors.

Main events :

2001/05-06 : Trident d'or exercise with the Italian Navy
2001/12 - 2002/06 : Heracles I (1st Indian Ocean deployment in support of Enduring Freedom)
2002/03/05 : First GBU fired in Afghanistan
2002/05 : Red shark I exercise with the Saudi Navy/Air Force
2002/10/22 : First Super Etendard crash (A exchange German pilot loose control of his aircraft after launch
2002/10/30 : First Aster 15 missile launch
2003/03 : NATO exercice Pean 2003 with the USS Harry Truman

2004/03-05 : Mission Agapanthe 04 (2nd Indian Ocean deployment)
2004/03/20 : Exercice North Wind 2004 with the UAE Navy/Air Force
2004/04 : Varuna 2004 Exercice with the Indian Navy
2004/04-05 : Heracles II (Afghanistan deployment)
2004/05 : Red shark II exercise with the Saudi Navy/Air Force
2004/05/11 : 10,000th carrier landing logged (by a Super Etandard)

2005/05 : Frame 05 exercise with the US and Canadian Navy
2005/05/22 : First carrier Landing/launch of a F/A-18C Hornet  (Cpt Bishop, VFA-131, CVN-69 Einsenhower)
2005/05/27 : First stop in the USA at Northfolk
2005/06 : Canfrex Exercice with the Canadian Navy
2005/05 : First carrier trials of the Meteor and Exocet missiles on the Rafale M1 

2006/02-06 : Mission Agapanthe 06 (3rd Indian Ocean deployment)
2006/03 :  Red shark III exercise with the Saudi Navy/Air Force
2006/04 :  Varuna 2006 Exercice with the Indian Navy
 2006/04 :  Big Fox 2006 Exercice with theUAE Navy/Air Force
2006/05 : Heracles III (Afghanistan deployment)
2006/06/07 : Rafale M presentation to the Greek authorities
2006/11 : Pean Exercice. First Rafale M F2 (M11 and M12) onboard.

2007/02-05 : Mission Agapanthe 07 (4th Indian Ocean deployment)
2007/02 : White shark 2007 exercise with the Saudi Navy/Air Force
2007/03 : Heracles IV (Afghanistan deployment)
2007/03/28 : First Rafale M F2 GBU-12 strike in Afghanistan
2007/06/14 : First AM-39 bk2 mod2 Exocet missile launch from a Rafale M (Rafale M F3 trial campaign CdG07)
2007/06/19 : a BAE Harrier test aircraft performs vertical TO and landings trials as par of the F-35B project

2007/07-2008/12 : First IPER (large scale maintenance and upgrade period)
2008/12/19 : 1st NH-90 helicopter trials

2009/03-08 : A failure in the propulsive system is detected requiring a 6 months maintenace stop
2009/09/24 : 2 Rafale M F3 are lost due to a mid air collision during weapons trials. (one pilot dead)
2009/11-12 : Pean Exercice. First Rafale M F3 onboard.

2010/04 : NATO Exercice Brillant Mariner (North sea, 40 ships from 12 countries)  
2010/06/04 : Cross deck exercise with the USS Harry Truman
2010/10 - 2011/02 : Mission Agapanthe 10 (5th Indian Ocean deployment)
2010/11/28 : Rafale M18 crashes after it ran out of fuel
2010/12/02 : First Recce mission over Afghanistan of a Rafale M F3 and the reco-NG pod
2010/12/10 : Cross deck exercise with the USS Abraham Lincoln

2011/01 : First operational Damocles pod test on a Rafale M F3 over Afghanistan
2011/01/11-14 : Varuna 2011 exercice with the Indian Navy
2011/01/23-26 : Big Fox 2011 exercice with theUAE Navy/Air Force
2011/02/12-14 : White shark 2011 exercise with the Saudi Navy/Air Force
2011/03-?? : Operation Harmattan (No fly-zone enforcement over Libya - UN resoltion 1973)
2011/03/22 : First war missions over Libya with the Reco NG pod and AASM bombs
2011/03/24 : First scalp strike from a Rafale M F3 on Al Jufra Air Base

Source : The excellent www.ffaa.net web site