U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet
Carrier Strike Group 10 Public Affairs
December 29, 2022

George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Arrives in Marseille, France

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush – along with the embarked staff of Carrier Strike Group 10 and George H.W. Bush CSG – arrived in Marseille, France, for a scheduled port visit, Dec. 29, 2022.

The port visit provides an opportunity to enhance the already strong U.S.-French partnership….

…“In France, only Marseille is in the position to welcome an American aircraft carrier, with all the logistical and security challenges that this represents.”

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“As the Commanding Officer of the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion, welcoming the USS Bush is an opportunity to underscore the historical importance of the link that unites us with the U.S. Navy, a link that is marked by a two-hundred-year-old cooperation: since Chesapeake Bay and up to the present days, we have been writing a lasting history through our exchanges and joint operations,” said Mathieu.

The cooperation Mathieu refers to is one of the oldest alliances between two nations on the European and American continents. From the U.S. War of Independence to the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, and present day operations, similar security challenges and opportunities in the French-U.S. relationship have helped form the core of their…partnership.

“The relationship between the United States and France is as old as our republic itself,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. “We work closely with our French allies as demonstrated during our recent multi-carrier operations with the French Carrier Strike Group and the Italian Carrier Strike Group.”

In late November, the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group operated with two NATO Carrier Strike Groups in the Ionian Sea, demonstrating collective commitment to the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic Area. Multicarrier activities demonstrated the coordination of dispersed allied and partner forces to train and operate in a joint, high-intensity security environment across all domains in the region.

During multicarrier operations, French Rafale fighter jets and U.S. aviation assets swapped decks – underscoring shared commitment and a shift toward interchangeability among allies that goes a step further than interoperability….

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CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied and partner interests.

George H.W. Bush is the flagship of CSG-10, George H.W. Bush CSG. George H.W. Bush CSG is comprised of George H.W. Bush, Carrier Air Wing 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Information Warfare Commander, and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55).

The ships of DESRON-26 within CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze, USS Farragut, USS Truxtun, and USS Delbert D. Black.

Photo: U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet