French helicopter carrier, frigate dock in Cape Town
THE French amphibious helicopter carrier Mistral and the frigate Courbet docked in Cape Town Harbour, carrying hundreds of sailors and students from the Jeanne d’Arc Naval Academy.
Their mission was part of the training programme for the French Naval Academy cadets.
The 2022 mission sees 640 sailors, including 160 students, as well as the army, embark on a 5-month period aboard the amphibious helicopter carrier and the frigate.
The Jeanne d’Arc group are on board until July.
They will sail across the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, via the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea and the Caribbean. The end of April marked their docking in Cape Town.
The media were taken on a tour of the Mistral by three of the students who are part of the naval academy.
The tour showed every aspect of the ship – including their ship and tank containment areas, the kitchen, the captain’s office, and the navigation and steering home, among many others – spread across 10 decks.
During this long-term operational deployment where the students are subject to very high demands, they also learn about the challenges of operational preparation, develop the know-how essential to their careers as naval officers, demonstrate their ability to adapt in order to be able to operate in different environments, and improve their knowledge of the areas they will cross.
This mission is also an opportunity for the French navy and army units to conduct joint exercises.
Among the high demands expected of them, the students also face difficulties such as being away from home for continuous periods and having to adjust to journeying to so many different countries.