The 72,000-ton HMS Queen Elizabeth cruises side by side with the FS Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean Sea during “cat and mouse” war games testing their ability to respond to enemy attacks.The Royal Navy said in a statement that the HMS Queen Elizabeth and the F-35 fighter jets onboard spent several days in the Western Mediterranean training with the FS Charles de Gaulle in Exercise Gallic Strike on June 4.The Royal Navy said that the first phase of Exercise Gallic Strike tested the ability of the two carriers to protect and defend against threats.The FS Charles de Gaulle weighs 52,000 tons and has an overall length of 858 feet (261 meters).
The ship can reach a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h).The HMS Queen Elizabeth is heavier and longer than its French counterpart weighing 72,000 tons and measuring 920 feet (280 meters) in length with a higher top speed of 32 knots (59 km/h).The joint exercise came just days before French President Emmanuel Macron is due to arrive in Cornwall for the G7 meeting that starts on June 11.Source: (Royal Navy/Zenger News)Mediterranean SeaJune 4, 2021