STORY: France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle returned to its home port of Toulon on Saturday (July 11) after a five-and-a-half-month deployment spanning the Atlantic, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean, the French Navy said.

The deployment, dubbed "La Fayette 26", covered more than 40,000 nautical miles and saw the carrier strike group participate in NATO activities in Northern Europe before being redeployed to the Mediterranean in March following deteriorating security in the Middle East.

The carrier group later moved to the Indian Ocean as maritime traffic faced threats in the Strait of Hormuz, where France supported international efforts to restore freedom of navigation as the U.S. and Israel waged war in Iran followed by a ceasefire in early April.

The French Navy said the mission demonstrated the carrier strike group's ability to operate over long distances and across multiple theatres while supporting both military and diplomatic objectives.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: UNKNOWN LOCATION AT SEA (ARCHIVE - 2026) (FRENCH NAVY - No resales)

1. AERIALS OF VARIOUS OF FRENCH NAVAL GROUP, INCLUDING THE CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRCRAFT CARRIER PROGRESSING

2. AERIAL OF CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRCRAFT CARRIER PROGRESSING

3. AIRCRAFT MARSHALLER ON CHARLES DE GAULLE DECK

4. RAFALE JETS ON DECK

5. MARSHALLER WITH RAFALE JET TAKING OFF

6. VARIOUS OF RAFALE ON DECK

7. MARSHALLER

TOULON, FRANCE (JULY 11, 2026) (FRENCH NAVY - No resales)

8. VARIOUS OF CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ARRIVING IN TOULON HARBOUR WITH JETS OF WATER WELCOMING IT

9. CHARLES DE GAULLE WITH CITY OF TOULON IN BACKGROUND

10. VARIOUS OF FRENCH NAVY SAILORS ON DECK AS AIRCRAFT CARRIER PROGRESSES

11. LINE HANDLERS PULLING ON ROPE

12. RELATIVES ON SHORE WAIVING

13. SAILORS LOOKING AT CROWD WELCOMING THEM ON SHORE

14. SAILOR MAKING A HEART SHAPE WITH HER HANDS WITH CROWD WAITING ON SHORE

15. VARIOUS OF AIRCRAFT CARRIER SEEN FROM SHORE WITH RELATIVES WAITING

16. CROWD WAITING

17. AIRCRAFT CARRIER WITH SAILORS LINING THE DECK

18. VARIOUS OF SAILORS ON DECK, WAVING

19. VARIOUS OF SAILORS HUGGING PEOPLE THEY KNOW