Join Aboard the Charles de Gaulle

Last week, France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was in Malmö (southern Sweden). Onboard were fighter jets, 1,800 crew members, and a central role in the French-led exercise Orion 26. During the visit, NDS interviewed the commander of the carrier strike group, Admiral Thibault Haudos de Possesse, who discussed Orion 26 and air superiority.

Malmö, 25 February 2026. Outside the doors of the central station, raindrops fall densely from the sky, and it's important to quickly find a taxi. The ride will go to a harbour, barely 15 minutes from the central station. But where exactly?

– To a large ship in the Oil Harbour, you'll probably see it, comes the instruction from the back seat.

The taxi driver nods, but to his surprise, the journey is not to the cruise ships that usually traffic the Öresund Strait, but to something entirely different. On the horizon outside the car window, the command bridge rises high above the other buildings, in stark contrast to the otherwise empty and greyish background.

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, 261.5 metres long, is moored in the Oil Harbour outside Malmö. The nuclear-powered ship is visiting Sweden, and during the day, the media have been invited for a tour onboard.

In conjunction with the visit, a press conference is also held with France's ambassador Thierry Carlier and the commander of the carrier strike group, Admiral Thibault Haudos de Possesse, as well as Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum, head of operations at the Headquarters.

Onboard this time are 22 Dassault Rafale M fighter jets, three helicopters, and two Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye radar aircraft. Together with a crew of about 1,800 people, the ship has the capability to be at sea for several months.

– We are usually out for four to five months at a stretch, but we have the capacity to manage longer than that, says the deputy ship commander Yann-Eric during the tour.

Given the size of the ship's crew, each meal takes about two hours to serve, and according to Yann-Eric, it is mostly French cuisine offered onboard.

– 1,800 baguettes are served every day, one for each crew member, he says.

Below deck, the aircraft and helicopters are lined up in one of the ship's two equally large hangars. The aircraft are guided forward with the help of a remote-controlled tug, and via an elevator, they can be transported up to the deck.

Yann-Eric nods towards the Rafale aircraft lined up inside the hangar.

– All maintenance of the aircraft can be done onboard, which is important for maintaining autonomy during missions, he explains.

The tour concludes up in the command bridge that towers over Malmö's coastline, with views of the city, the Öresund Strait, and the bridge that connects Sweden with the continent. From there, we see a motorcade approaching the ship, a sign that the press conference is about to begin.

During the press conference, Vice Admiral Ewa Skoog Haslum emphasises the importance of strategic cooperation between Sweden, France, and Europe, highlighting the aircraft carrier as a key resource for Europe's deterrence capability and collective defence in northern Europe.

– This carrier strike group is one of Europe's most important strategic assets. It provides us with credible deterrence and advanced operational capability both at sea and in the air. The visit to northern Europe supports NATO's mission to secure allied territory and strengthen collective defence, says Skoog Haslum and continues:

– As previously mentioned, the Öresund Strait is a busy and well-trafficked area and one of the gateways to the Baltic Sea, which is an important maritime area for all coastal states in the region, including Russia.

Charles de Gaulle has recently participated in the French-led exercise Orion 26, which simulates large-scale operations on land, in the air, and at sea. For NDS, the commander of the carrier strike group, Admiral Thibault Haudos de Possesse, shares more about the ship's role in the exercise.

– We start from the Atlantic and aim to establish air superiority to enable an amphibious landing. After the landing, the troops continue to advance inland, so it is a large-scale operation involving many parts.

The carrier strike group's mission was thus to secure air superiority to enable the landing. Ewa Skoog Haslum previously described Charles de Gaulle as an important strategic resource for Europe, something Admiral Haudos de Possesse agrees with.

– It is important for Europe to be able to maintain maritime control. This means being able to use both the air and the sea to our advantage, and to deny the enemy the same. Right now, we see nations building large fleets and wanting to challenge our interests, he says and continues:

– In the future, naval battles may look different, but the first stage in these will often be air superiority. The role of aircraft carriers is to create that.

Controlling the Baltic Sea could become an important part of NATO's future capability, and Sweden may play a strategically important role there. However, Admiral Haudos de Possesse does not want to speculate on how Sweden should act.

– I cannot speak for how Sweden should act. But historically, Sweden has made good military decisions, so I have confidence in them. They also know much more than I do about these matters, says Admiral Thibault Haudos de Possesse.