Sensitive Moment: Latest Movements of French Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Leaked Unexpectedly

According to a report by the French newspaper Le Monde on March 19, during a sensitive period when the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier strike group was heading to the Middle East, a French soldier accidentally leaked the fleet's location in the Mediterranean by using a fitness application (APP).

French media displays the leaked location information of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier strike group. Source: French media

The report states that on March 13 at 10:35 AM, a French Navy personnel with the ID "Arthyr" was jogging on the deck of the ship using the fitness software Strava. He ran over 7 kilometers in about 35 minutes, and the software automatically recorded and uploaded this exercise data to the internet. Since his account was set to public, anyone could view it. Le Monde confirmed that at that time, the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier and its escort vessels were located northwest of Cyprus, approximately 100 kilometers from the Turkish coast.

The aircraft carrier strike group includes at least the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, three frigates, and a supply ship. After several days of conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran, French President Macron announced on March 3 the order to deploy the fleet. At that time, the Charles de Gaulle was participating in NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea, originally scheduled to remain until May.

French media pointed out that by analyzing "Arthyr's" Strava historical data, the recent movements of the aircraft carrier strike group could be tracked. For example: on February 14, jogging records showed he was off the coast of France's Cotentin Peninsula; on February 26 and 27, location data indicated that this soldier disembarked in Copenhagen, Denmark, while the aircraft carrier was docked in Malmö, Sweden; and on March 13, the location was northwest of Cyprus. The report stated that this information was later confirmed by satellite images from the Charles de Gaulle.

Le Monde also found that at least one other French Navy personnel's exercise data contained location information, and their account even included photos showing the ship's deck and internal facilities.

The French military's general staff responded by stating that the publication of exercise data "does not comply with current regulations" and indicated that "the command will take appropriate measures."

The report mentioned that similar incidents had occurred before. In January 2025, crew members of a French nuclear submarine leaked patrol information through the Strava fitness APP. The French military at that time acknowledged that this was due to "human error," but stated that it did not affect military operations.

Le Monde noted that in the current context of conflict in the Middle East, the public disclosure of the aircraft carrier's precise location could pose security risks. The report mentioned that at least two French military bases in the Middle East had been attacked recently, and one French soldier was killed in a drone strike in northern Iraq.