France deploys helicopter carrier to Mediterranean: Military

Paris: France has sent a helicopter carrier to the Mediterranean in response to the Middle East war, the French military told AFP on Friday.

"An amphibious helicopter carrier has been deployed in the Mediterranean to reinforce the presence of the French armed forces in the context of the Middle East crisis," a spokeswoman said, after France decided to deploy its flagship aircraft carrier and a frigate earlier in the week.

A similar ship was sent off the shore of Lebanon as a precautionary measure to help with repatriations if needed during the 2024 war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.


The current conflict has drawn in Lebanon, with Israeli air strikes killing at least 217 people there in less than a week, according to Lebanese authorities.

France has three helicopter carriers, which are floating ports equipped with a hospital and room to welcome 1,500 people in case of a civilian evacuation.

They can also serve as a base for helicopters or as a means to bring troops to land.

The EU nation has already sent a frigate to Cyprus following a drone attack on a British base on the Mediterranean island.

Its flagship Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier on Friday passed the Strait of Gibraltar on its way to the eastern Mediterranean.