Pictures:
Royal Navy and French Navy vessels with USS Abraham Lincoln carrier in
Strait of Hormuz
As
we reported last week British and French ships joined a US carrier
group in a six-strong flotilla of warships which passed through the
Strait of Hormuz. French Navy released several pictures of the passage
and of joint maneuvers in the gulf.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said in January that a Royal Navy frigate,
HMS Argyll, was part of a US-led carrier group to sail through the waterway
which Iran has threatened to close over Western moves to impose new
sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.
A spokesman said: "HMS Argyll and a French vessel joined a US carrier
group transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, to underline the unwavering
international commitment to maintaining rights of passage under international
law."
As we then reported, the French Navy vessel probably La Motte-Picquet
anti-submarine destroyer (or frigate in French Navy designation).
The crew of La Motte-Picquet took several pictures of the joint maneuvers and the French Navy just released
them.
(All pictures: French Navy/Marine Nationale)
Marine
Nationale (French Navy) explain that La Motte-Picquet four-month deployment
is part of the fight against terrorism and contributes to crisis prevention
and surveillance of an area where maritime safety must be ensured. Such
a mission is not conducted alone and could not succeed without the help
of several nations. And to work together successfully, there is nothing
like training together. That's why every opportunity must be seized
to conduct exercises between allied navies, united in the same coalition
in the mission "Enduring Freedom".
The six vessels
strong battle group is made of:
- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft
carrier.
- USS Sterett (DDG-104) and USS Russell (DDG-59) Arleigh Burke-class
destroyers.
- USS Cape St. George (CG-71) Ticonderoga-class cruiser.
- HMS Argyll (F231) Type 23 'Duke' Class frigate.
- French Ship La Motte-Picquet (D645) Georges Leygues Class Destroyer
(Frigate in French designation)
