The mine-hunters Persée and Sagittarius, with their support and command ship, the Loire, have left Brest, heading to the north of the Indian Ocean. This force will cross in the area from February 15 to May 13, before returning home the next month. As the relations between the United States and Iran are more sensitive in this moment, the sending of the French ships intervenes within the framework of a usual deployment in the Gulf. "Every two years, a war force against mines is deployed in this area of the world in order to support the relations of co-operation and the navy of the United Arab Emirates, of Qatar, of Kuwait, of the Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain and of Pakistan", indicates the French Navy, whose capacities as regards anti-mine warfare are very appreciated since the war of the Gulf 1991. The Persée, Sagittarius and the Loire will take part, in particular, to two great exercises: MERCY 07 at the beginning of March with Pakistan and ARABIAN GAUNTLET, at the end of March, with Pakistan and Bahrain... March: 15 French ships and 4700 sailors in the area : Regarding the programmed deployments, in March, the French presence in Indian Ocean will reach a level not equalized since many years. Besides the force of war against mines, as from March, the French air and sea group will join the zone. It will include the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the destroyer Blas de Lezo (Spain), the frigates Cassard and Tourville, the nuclear attack submarine of Casabianca and the of supply and command ship Marne. This last one will be back on April 24 in Toulon and replaced by the Somme, whose arrival is envisaged at mid-March. Two weeks earlier, the Dupleix frigate will also join the zone. At the end of the month, the ship will integrate the third French force deployed in the Indian Ocean and take part in the maritime antiterrorist operation Enduring Freedom. The TF 150 (which should pass under French command on April 4) will be composed, in March, of the Aconit frigate and sloop PM Her, this last one replacing the Cdt Birot, which sailed again Monday through the Suez Canal. The BCR VAR, being used as the base of the admiral ordering the forces of the Indian Ocean, will be him also on zone. Lastly, the school group of the navy, made up of the helicopter carrier Jeanne d' Arc and the frigate George Leygues, will start his return towards Brest and will be in Djibouti on April 1. On the whole, 15 French buildings will cross in the area in March, that is to say more than 4700 sailors (3900 except school group).
The mine-hunters Persée and Sagittarius, with their support and command ship, the Loire, have left Brest, heading to the north of the Indian Ocean. This force will cross in the area from February 15 to May 13, before returning home the next month. As the relations between the United States and Iran are more sensitive in this moment, the sending of the French ships intervenes within the framework of a usual deployment in the Gulf. "Every two years, a war force against mines is deployed in this area of the world in order to support the relations of co-operation and the navy of the United Arab Emirates, of Qatar, of Kuwait, of the Sultanate of Oman, Bahrain and of Pakistan", indicates the French Navy, whose capacities as regards anti-mine warfare are very appreciated since the war of the Gulf 1991. The Persée, Sagittarius and the Loire will take part, in particular, to two great exercises: MERCY 07 at the beginning of March with Pakistan and ARABIAN GAUNTLET, at the end of March, with Pakistan and Bahrain...
March: 15 French ships and 4700 sailors in the area :
Regarding the programmed deployments, in March, the French presence in Indian Ocean will reach a level not equalized since many years. Besides the force of war against mines, as from March, the French air and sea group will join the zone. It will include the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the destroyer Blas de Lezo (Spain), the frigates Cassard and Tourville, the nuclear attack submarine of Casabianca and the of supply and command ship Marne. This last one will be back on April 24 in Toulon and replaced by the Somme, whose arrival is envisaged at mid-March. Two weeks earlier, the Dupleix frigate will also join the zone.
At the end of the month, the ship will integrate the third French force deployed in the Indian Ocean and take part in the maritime antiterrorist operation Enduring Freedom. The TF 150 (which should pass under French command on April 4) will be composed, in March, of the Aconit frigate and sloop PM Her, this last one replacing the Cdt Birot, which sailed again Monday through the Suez Canal. The BCR VAR, being used as the base of the admiral ordering the forces of the Indian Ocean, will be him also on zone. Lastly, the school group of the navy, made up of the helicopter carrier Jeanne d' Arc and the frigate George Leygues, will start his return towards Brest and will be in Djibouti on April 1. On the whole, 15 French buildings will cross in the area in March, that is to say more than 4700 sailors (3900 except school group).
roughly translated from : http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=103741
it is interesting to notice that such a naval group has a major strike capacity (both nuclear and conventional) through aircrafts, cruise missiles and other missiles.
This was "compensated" by a large involvement in Afghanistan (Enduring Freedom), the French naval air-force being "second" to the US to strike targets inside the country.
The actual build up is interesting : besides the mine-sweepers (Iran is expected to mine the Hormuz straight) and the carrier's strike capacity, France will partly relieve the US outside Somalia (TC150).
so on the whole your professor is right, the French are backing up the US, but on their own terms. Another interesting point is that the French are modernizing their Navy very rapidly, while the UK seems to be lagging after (except the construction of two modern carriers). Spain and Italy are improving their navies too. Round 2014 the European navy will have 4 modern carriers and two minor ones, a flotilla of stealth multimission frigates armed with cruise-missiles, several helicopter- and troop projection carriers and about 18 nuclear submarines of which at least 6 will be of strategic importance.
