The French Navy (Marine Nationale) commended the potential for carrier logistical support operations at a former U.S. naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines.
Story by Aaron-Matthew Lariosa and Martin Manaranche
Among the Indo-Pacific ports visited by the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG) during its ‘Clemenceau 25’ mission to the region, the French Navy identified Subic Bay in the Philippines to hold the most potential in supporting the nuclear aircraft carrier’s operations throughout the region.
The deployment was an opportunity to diversify partnerships in support of establishing new logistical points in support of French Navy operations. With territories across the Indo-Pacific, France continues to look for logistics points to help support its ships passing through the area. This time, with the aircraft carrier present, the CSG has tested several harbors that would be able to accommodate either the aircraft carrier or the new class of supply vessel. For the record, the Jacques Chevallier-class (also known as BRF) is in a different category than regular surface combatants in size, coming in at a length of 193 meters and a fully loaded displacement of 31,000 tonnes.
Four ports were visited by the aircraft carrier or the BRF: Okinawa, Darwin, Lombok and Subic Bay.
In the case of Okinawa, only the BRF and a FREMM docked there. Because of the ambiguity maintained by France over the presence of nuclear weapons on board the aircraft carrier, Japan refuses to allow the latter to call there. “There was little doubt that Okinawa was a suitable harbor for the BRF. Equally important, American and Japanese ships are stationed there”, according to a French Navy commander, speaking during a private event focusing on France’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
The BRF also made a stopover in Darwin, in the north of Australia. Although, like Okinawa, it appears to be a sufficiently important port, the stopover there was more difficult. “Darwin is not an easy harbour to manoeuvre in, especially for large vessels. The access is difficult. It’s feasible, but not ideal,” said an Officer.
The Clemenceau 25 mission also stood out because it was the first time that the aircraft carrier had called at Lombok in Indonesia, a diplomatic success as the Navy’s Chief of Staff explained during a hearing. No American aircraft carrier would have called there, at least in the post-WWII period. Lombok has a fairly strategic location. Located between the Java Sea – at the entrance to the South China Sea – and Australia, this location offers access to the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia. However, if the visit were historical, technically speaking, Lombok wasn’t ideal. “Lombok is a paradise island for sure, but it sorely lacks the port infrastructure and industrial fabric to support an aircraft carrier,” explained an Admiral.
Continuing further east, the Charles de Gaulle made a port call in Subic Bay, Philippines. The Admiral commended the strategically-located bay, calling it an “ideal location” to support aircraft carriers. Subic was formerly home to one of Washington’s largest overseas bases, coming in at an area comparable to the size of Singapore, which hosted large segments of the Cold War-era U.S. Pacific Fleet.
In 1992, American forces withdrew following the Philippine government’s request to disband all foreign bases on its soil. However, the remains of the naval base have been repurposed by local companies and the Philippine Navy within the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. In recent years, increased defense activity has returned to the strategically located bay amid tensions between Manila and Beijing over the South China Sea and Luzon Strait. These include foreign navies examining the area’s logistical potential and the prepositioning of military equipment.
“The environment is favorable to host an aircraft carrier. Depth is here and most of all, we found all infrastructures and industrial landscape necessary for potential support,” stated the Admiral.
Subic hosts several shipyards that support commercial and military vessels. Among these is the Subic Bay Drydock Corporation, which has a Master Ship Repair Agreement with the U.S. Navy. This agreement certifies that a shipyard can uphold the standards to maintain and repair American naval vessels.
The comments made by the Admiral come amid increased defense ties between Paris and Manila, which have been among the most intensive by a European power with the Philippines to date. Philippine and French defense officials outlined their plans for this enhanced cooperation in 2023. Since then, Paris has sent vessels, personnel, and aircraft to partake in multilateral naval drills in the Philippines. France has also pitched submarines, radars and coast guard patrol vessels to support Manila’s military modernization program.
Before pulling into Subic Bay, the French CSG led France’s maiden joint patrol with Philippine forces in the disputed South China Sea. “We are mostly here because there is a free and open area to sail in. And we are here basically to use this right of common space to make sure that this space stays common,” RADM. Jacques Mallard, commander of the French carrier strike group, told reporters in the Philippines.
