Search our content Home / Newsroom / News Archive / 2021 / French Carrier Strike Group declared fully operational after NATO exercise Mar 3 2021 French Carrier Strike Group declared fully operational after NATO exercise MONS, Belgium – The French Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Charles de Gaulle was declared combat ready on Monday, Mar. 1, 2021 following its participation in NATO exercise Dynamic Manta 21 off the Sicilian coast. This major exercise, which began on Feb. 22, ends a build-up phase towards the full operational capability of Task Force (TF) 473. Exercises of this magnitude represent a major opportunity to strengthen the Alliance's anti-submarine warfare capabilities TF 473 departed Toulon, France on Feb. 21 and embarked on an intensive operational training programme. The TF consisted of a formidable group of allied escorts capable of deterring a wide spectrum of threats. High standards and realism were the key words of these training sequences characterised by the high pace of the exercises. Surface defence, air defence, anti-submarine warfare, the fight against asymmetric and cybernetic threats are all domains in which the responsiveness of crews and equipment capabilities have been tested and validated.The exercise warm up involved a number of allies and partners including American frigate USS Donald Cook, Belgian frigate FFGH Leopold I, Greek frigate HS Kanaris, Italian frigates ITS Rizzo and Margottini and Moroccan frigate Allal Ben Abdellah. The frigates joined forces with the French CSG and confirmed the high level of interoperability as well as common commitment to securing the Mediterranean area.