By Emma Salisbury*
The European continent is consumed with local geopolitical problems, with Ukraine fighting an existential war for its future and Russia’s aggression knowing few bounds. Academics and experts at home and abroad often argue that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies in Europe should focus on their own troubles and ‘stay out of Asia’. And yet, European countries’ navies are not remaining solely in their own backyard. Nor should they; that is not how maritime power works, Britain’s World reports.
A series of European carrier strike group deployments to the Indo-Pacific continues, with the French Marine Nationale about to pass the baton to the Royal Navy for its 2025 mission. Given the obvious and immediate need for NATO allies to deter and monitor Russian naval movements and maritime ‘grey zone’ activity in the Euro-Atlantic theatre, one could be forgiven for assuming that these Indo-Pacific deployments might fall by the wayside. That they have not illustrates the value that European states (and their allies) place on their contribution to global security – a contribution which is both symbolic and material – and the message that they send to adversaries.
The Royal Navy recently carried out Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR off the coast of Scotland, confirming that the carrier strike group centred around HMS Prince of Wales is ready to go later this year, as a follow-up to sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth’s Indo-Pacific deployment in 2021. The Italian Navy sent theCavour carrier and escorts to the region last year, and the French carrier strike group, led by the Charles de Gaulle, is currently on its ownCLEMENCEAU 2025 deployment.
Each of these missions forms a drumbeat of European naval presence in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting those states’ commitment to a principle expressed by Jens Stoltenberg’s comment last year as he left his role as Secretary General of NATO: ‘Europe’s security affects Asia, and Asia’s security affects Europe’. The two theatres are not separate – they are intertwined. And, of course, the semi-coordination means that while one European carrier is in the Indo-Pacific, others remain in the Euro-Atlantic ready to react to emerging crises.
The deployment of carrier strike groups in particular to the Indo-Pacific, as opposed to focusing solely on smaller missions in the region, is a choice that carries with it considerable symbolic meaning. As a capital ship, the largest operated by a navy, an aircraft carrier has an unavoidable amount of sheer physical presence, both on manoeuvre and when visiting a port, which is simply not replicated by smaller vessels. Presence missions are a core part of naval strategy during peacetime, given that their objective is to influence adversaries before conflict and to deter conflict, and a European carrier strike group in the Indo-Pacific brings several layers of symbolism. That is why the Trump administration’s potential roll-back on United States (US) Navy forward presence may be a poor strategic choice.
Showing the flag signals the strength of a navy’s support for allies and partners in that region, particularly when coupled with port visits, diplomatic exchanges and military exercises.
Then there is the overt signalling of warfighting potential – if we are here, we can fight here if we need to. Relatedly, that presence also shows that an adversary has not deterred a given country, either from supporting those allies and partners or from exercising international rights to freedom of navigation. All of these underpin the overarching symbolic message – European countries are not solely interested in their own waters, but view security in the Indo-Pacific as its purview as well.
Beyond these symbolic aspects, the European carrier strike group deployments all take advantage of opportunities to build stronger links with regional allies and partners. To begin with, port visits offer the chance for not only high-level diplomatic engagement, but also the creation and renewal of personal relationships between naval personnel from different nations. The ties which bind nations together reach down through the ranks, from admirals to sailors, and working relationships based on friendliness and mutual respect are of considerable value in their own right.
Equally, participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises enables navies to bolster their interoperability, something which becomes vital in any conflict scenario – allies that can fight together as seamlessly as possible have a far better chance of prevailing. An exercise like LA PEROUSE 2025, which saw the French carrier strike group operating with eight other navies in waters off Indonesia, provides valuable experience which cannot be replicated in other ways.
Likewise, such deployments are a vital part of supporting freedom of navigation and contributing to the principle of a free and open Indo-Pacific which is under threat from revisionist actors.
And finally: ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ With the world’s economic centre of gravity shifting to the Indo-Pacific, global trading nations cannot turn their backs on much needed prosperity.
While any probable conflict in the Indo-Pacific would be dominated by the US Navy and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – the Chinese fleet – European countries are showing that they have contributions to make – and that they are willing to follow through. Deploying carrier strike groups shows the ability of European navies to project naval power into the Indo-Pacific theatre in support of their allies and partners, backing up wider assertions of support, and proves that the regional relationships exist to make their contributions count.
The make-up of such a contribution in the event of war in the Indo-Pacific would, of course, be dependent on a myriad of factors, including the political will of governments in the moment and the immediate call on resources closer to home. However, this series of European carrier strike group deployments signals a clear message – Britain, France and Italy will not stand by while their interests and their allies are threatened. The Royal Navy and its European allies should continue to shout that message, loud and clear.
*Dr Emma Salisbury is Research Fellow in Sea Power at the Council on Geostrategy.
