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The French Navy had a problem. With its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle undergoing a major refit, how could its carrier air wing maintain its skills and readiness in preparation for the ship’s return to service. The refit, scheduled to take from early 2017 through early 2019, would ensure the carrier’s capabilities through the end of its service life in 20 years. The refurbishment included upgrading the ship’s ammunition storage, aircraft facilities, landing support equipment (the same as used on US carriers), communications, computer systems and more. Enter, the US Navy. Operation Chesapeake, lasting from April 3 to May 27, 2018, was the unique solution to the French Navy’s need to maintain readiness. Although the carrier air wing maintained a rigorous operational pace during the de Gaulle’s refit, it did so from land. This partnership with the US Navy enabled to air wing to perform workups at sea around and aboard an aircraft carrier in preparation for the Charles de Gaulle’s return to active service.
The deployment, named after the Battle of Chesapeake, was another hallmark of US-French cooperation on the high-seas. The battle itself, was a key maritime engagement between the French Fleet and the British during the American Revolution. The French victory led to the fall of Yorktown and ultimately US victory and independence. The deployment itself was unprecedented in scale. Over 350 sailors of the carrier air wing including pilots, mechanics and flight deck personnel were deployed to the United States along with 12 Dassault Rafale M and 1 E-2C Hawkeye. The aircraft represented the carrier air wing squadrons 11F, 12F and 17F flying Rafales and 4F flying the Hawkeye. The deployment consisted of two phases: an onshore phase aboard NAS Oceana and an at-sea phase aboard the US aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). Several US Navy squadrons supported the deployment and flew alongside their French allies: Super Hornets from VFA-31 Tomcatters, VFA-87 Golden Warriors and VFA-213 Blacklions; EA-18G Growlers from VAQ-131 Lancers; Hawkeyes from VAW-124 Bear Aces; and, support from the C-2 Greyhounds of VRC-40 Rawhides.