The Jeanne d’Arc 2026 deployment is the French Navy’s five-month training and operational mission, briefed on 5 February by Capt. (N) Jocelyn Delrieu. Sailing on the amphibious assault ship Dixmude with frigate Aconit, the task group leaves Toulon on 17 February and returns in July, preparing 160 officer cadets (including 16 foreign partners) for immediate operational readiness, with a focus on navigation, maneuver, operations, drones and data.
Operations and maritime security tasks
From the Mediterranean Sea to the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, the group is set to contribute to EU operations ASPIDES and ATALANTA, while carrying an embarked tactical force (infantry and helicopters) designed for rapid crisis response, counter-trafficking actions and amphibious operations. Planned cooperation includes Egypt, Kenya and Tanzania, followed by Mayotte and La Réunion, with participation in Exercise Papangue.
Indo-Pacific exercises and strategic partnerships
The second phase shifts toward the Indo-Pacific and the Pacific with Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines and Exercise La Pérouse with Malaysia, before a northern Indian Ocean return leg featuring engagements with India, the United Arab Emirates and Djibouti, and a final stop in Turkey. The 2026 edition also aligns with the French Navy’s 400th anniversary, underscoring continuity and adaptation to emerging maritime threats.
