Pictures taken by local photographer Hervé Dermoune yesterday afternoon show Mistral-class LHD Tonnerre (which name and pennant numbers have been removed, an ““experimentation aimed at making it more difficult to identify French Navy ships via OSINT and other means” as we previously reported) departing its home port of Toulon with several helicopters onboard.
Earlier that day, the photographer witnessed three French Army NH90TTH helicopters landing at the Hyeres naval air base before joing the LHD. According to our account, there are at least 3 NH90TTH, 2 Super Puma or Cougar and one Tiger helicopters aboard Tonnerre, all belonging to the French Army.
Contacted by Naval News yesterday evening, a French Navy spokesman confirmed:
“Tonnerre departed this afternoon for the Eastern Mediterranean. It will join two frigates already on location, Alsace and Surcouf, to reinforce our military presence in this region”
On Wednesday evening, French President Emmanuel Macron announced, during his trip to Egypt, that France was about to send a military vessel to Gaza to “support the hospitals”, deprived of electricity due to shortages of fuel.
However, given the number of helicopters aboard Tonnerre, Naval News believes this deployment is not exclusively for humanitarian tasks. The vessel could play a key role in evacuating French citizens should the need arise.
Tonnerre was previously taking part in the first live military exercise conducted by the European Union (MILEX/LIVEX 23). The crew had 48 hours to get ready to deploy again, this time for an operational mission.
Two French frigates already on location
There are already two French Navy frigates on location: Air Defense FREMM frigate Alsace and La Fayette-class frigate Surcouf. According to our information, Alsace departed Toulon a couple weeks ago and was previously set to integrate with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) en route to the Mediterranean. This plan has now likely changed.
Growing naval vessel presence in the Eastern Med.
The presence of Western navy ships in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea is growing and the waters around the island of Cyprus are about to get very busy.
As we reported previously, the Ford CSG has been re-tasked and is only location for the past several days.
The US Navy deployed a second aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE). It departed Norfolk, Oct. 14. and is now heading to the Eastern Mediterranean. Initial reports claimed it would join the Ford carrier strike group but it now appears that this CSG is under U.S. Central Command and therefore will likely transit the Suez canal and head to the Red Sea and maybe the Persian Gulf.
In addition, a U.S. Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is also head to the Eastern Med. It is composed of three amphibious vessels: USS Bataann, USS Carter Hall (both currently near Yemen) and USS Mesa Verde currently in the Mediterranean.
Last but not least, the UK has deployed a Response Group composed of two vessels: the Bay-class landing ship dock (LSD) auxiliary vessel RFA Lyme Bay, and the primary casualty receiving ship RFA Argus.
Mistral-class LHD as Hospital Ship
The French Navy has some expertise in assistance operations for populations in distress, relying in particular on its three Mistral-class LHD Mistral, Tonnerre and Dixmude.
Each vessel of the class with 750m² of modern hospital facilities (NATO Role 3 medical facility) consisting in:
- two operating rooms
- an x-ray room
- a dental office
- a scanner
- 20 rooms and 69 hospitalization beds, of which 7 are fit for intensive care
- 50 more beds can be installed in the helicopter hangar if needed.
In such MEDEVAC missions, Mistral-class LHD crews are usually reinforced by the French Defence Health Service (Service de Santé des Armées in French or SSA), the service responsible for medical and sanitary support of the French military.
