French Navy Officer’s Fitness App Reveals Location of Aircraft Carrier

A French naval officer accidentally exposed the location of France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier by using the Strava fitness app during a morning run. French officials say they're implementing corrective actions after journalists used the app data to pinpoint the carrier's Mediterranean position.

French military officials are implementing corrective actions after a naval officer accidentally revealed the location of the country’s aircraft carrier through a fitness tracking application.

The incident occurred when a crew member aboard the Charles de Gaulle used the Strava exercise app during a March 13 morning run, according to reporting by French newspaper Le Monde. Journalists were able to track the officer’s workout data and subsequently pinpoint the nuclear-powered vessel’s Mediterranean location using satellite imagery from that date.

Military spokesperson Col. Guillaume Vernet confirmed that the Strava activity violated current protocols and said command is implementing corrective actions.

“During their service, naval personnel receive regular briefings about security risks from connected devices, particularly social media usage in personal time and potential location tracking through digital apps,” Vernet explained to The Associated Press on Friday.

“Various levels of connected device restrictions are implemented throughout the French navy to prevent information disclosure about vessels. Command determines these restriction levels based on threat assessment,” he added.

The carrier’s Mediterranean deployment this month was publicly known, and Rear Adm. Thibault Haudos de Possesse had conducted a media briefing via video link from the Charles de Gaulle on the same day as the officer’s tracked run.

During that briefing, the commander revealed that multiple warships, including French and allied frigates, were accompanying the carrier, which carries 20 Rafale fighter aircraft, two Hawkeye surveillance aircraft and three helicopters.

Le Monde emphasized the security concerns of revealing the strike group’s near real-time location on a public platform during ongoing conflicts in Iran. A March 12 drone strike on a Kurdish military facility in the Erbil area killed French Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud Frion and injured six others.

This week, French President Emmanuel Macron revealed details about France’s future nuclear aircraft carrier, which will surpass the Charles de Gaulle in size. The 10 billion-euro ($11.5 billion) France Libre is scheduled for 2038 deployment and will accommodate 30 Rafale fighters and 2,000 crew members.

The new carrier will measure 310 meters (1,017 feet) in length with 80,000-ton displacement, significantly larger than the current Charles de Gaulle’s 261-meter (856-foot) length and 42,000-ton displacement.