The French frigate FS Chevalier Paul (D621) called at the Port of Gdynia on Thursday, February 26th. The vessel forms part of the carrier strike group built around the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which is currently in Sweden. The French deployment to the Baltic is being conducted as a combined diplomatic and military mission.

The 153-metre Horizon-class air-defence frigate berthed in Gdynia specialises in anti-air and anti-missile warfare. In the Baltic Sea she is providing escort to the carrier Charles de Gaulle.

The nuclear-powered carrier is the flagship of the French Navy and the only aircraft carrier of its kind not operated by the United States Navy. As part of exercises and a port visit to the Baltic region, Charles de Gaulle is scheduled to remain in Malmö until 2 March. However, an incident occurred there involving a drone that reportedly took off from a Russian vessel and approached the warship.

The unmanned aircraft was neutralised by the Swedish Armed Forces using electronic warfare systems. It remains unclear whether the drone fell into the sea or returned to its launch platform. The incident was reported by Sweden’s public broadcaster Sveriges Television.

The carrier can embark up to 40 fighter jets and has a complement of as many as 2,000 personnel. Commissioned in 2001, Charles de Gaulle remains the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world outside American service. The vessel has a displacement of 42,500 tonnes.

The drone incident occurred on the same day that NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled over Polish airspace in response to a large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine.

In March, Charles de Gaulle is due to proceed further into the Baltic Sea. The deployment is intended to serve as a deterrent against potential Russian aggression towards NATO. It also carries diplomatic significance, marking the carrier’s first presence in these waters and a visit to a country which joined NATO in 2024 after more than 200 years of neutrality. The carrier and accompanying French vessels will take part in Alliance exercises in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Mediterranean.