French sailor goes running, reveals flagship’s location via fitness app
Source: Task & Purpose
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A French sailor was trying to keep fit, going for a run and logging his progress on a smartwatch. He ended up revealing an aircraft carrier’s position as it sails towards the Middle East.
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, the French Navy’s flagship, was ordered to head to the Middle East from the Baltic Sea on March 3, a multi-week journey, but its exact location in the Mediterranean Sea was revealed on March 13 when a French sailor posted his 7-kilometer run to the Strava fitness app, with his data public. French newspaper Le Monde first reported on the location of the ship via the data, using an alias for the French officer, who uploaded daily runs to the app.
The deployment was publicly announced and aircraft carriers are not the hardest things to track, but this did reveal close to its exact location in near-real time. Le Monde used satellite imagery to locate the ship, specifically via the info from the sailor’s Strava post. So, on March 13, the Charles de Gaulle was noted as being roughly 100 kilometers south of Turkey and west of Cyprus.
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If that kind of opsec issue sounds familiar, it’s not the first time fitness tracking apps have been a nightmare for the military. Fitness apps including Strava have unintentionally revealed secretive installations around the world, several operated by the U.S. military. They range from firebases in Syria to Special Forces soldiers’ location in Niger. The military has struggled for years with digital services that track and share locations.
They also run other security risks. In the war in Ukraine, one Russian submarine captain who regularly logged his runs and bike rides on Strava was assassinated in 2023, near the end point of a route he regularly took, leading many to suggest he was tracked via his fitness logs.
As for the Charles de Gaulle, it is heading to the Middle East along with multiple other warships, in response to the widening war with Iran. French President Emmanuel Macron called a “defensive” action meant to protect allies and potentially evacuate French citizens in the region.
According to Le Monde, a French military spokesperson said that the use of Strava “does not comply with the current guidelines” regarding social media and their risks, specifically with geolocation, that sailors are “regularly made aware of.” So keep that in mind, whether on post or at sea on a warship heading into a warzone. At the very least, don’t have your fitness tracking app set to public.
The post French sailor goes running, reveals flagship’s location via fitness app appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Classification
Region
Europe, East Asia & Pacific
Analytical Domain
Informational
Primary Category / Secondary Categories
ISR Activity / Military Operations
SALUTE Report
Size
1 aircraft carrier
Activity
A French sailor revealed the location of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle via a fitness app while running.
Location
Mediterranean Sea · south of Turkey · west of Cyprus
Unit
French Navy
Time
March 13
Equipment
aircraft carrier
Summary
A French sailor revealed the location of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle while logging a run on a fitness app on March 13. The carrier was located approximately 100 kilometers south of Turkey and west of Cyprus, heading to the Middle East. This incident highlights ongoing security risks associated with fitness tracking applications for military personnel.
Key Facts
- A French sailor's fitness app revealed the location of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.
- The carrier was approximately 100 kilometers south of Turkey and west of Cyprus on March 13.
- The deployment was part of a response to the widening war with Iran.
- The use of fitness apps has previously caused security issues for military personnel.