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
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