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.