French sailor's running app reveals navy ship's location in Mediterranean amid Iran conflict
The run appeared to place the aircraft carrier and its escort group north-west of Cyprus, around 100km from the Turkish coast
A sailor’s public fitness data appeared to show the near real-time position of the Charles-de-Gaulle and its escort group during a sensitive deployment in the Mediterranean.
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A French Navy officer’s public Strava account may have exposed the location of France’s aircraft carrier battle group in the eastern Mediterranean, according to a report by French newspaper Le Monde.
A young officer, referred to as Arthur, recorded a run of just over 7km in 35 minutes on March 13 using a connected watch linked to the sports app.
Because his Strava profile was set to public, the data could be viewed online.
The run appeared to place the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle and its escort group north-west of Cyprus, around 100km from the Turkish coast.
France’s carrier deployment to the region had already been announced publicly and President Emmanuel Macron said on March 3 that he had ordered the naval group to move after the start of the war involving Israel, the United States and Iran.
The carrier had previously been in the Baltic on a Nato exercise, and its passage through the Strait of Gibraltar was announced on 6 March.
Publishing the group’s exact position, almost in real time and on a public platform, is considered a serious security lapse given the conflict in the Middle East.
The report said Arthur’s previous Strava activities appeared to track the group’s movements, including a run off the Cotentin coast on February 14, time in Copenhagen on February 26 and 27, and then the activity near Cyprus on March 13.
The French military told the newspaper the running route on Strava “does not comply with the instructions in force” and said sailors are “regularly sensitized” to such risks.
It added that “The digital hygiene of the fighter” forms part of the “prerequisites before any deployment”, and said “appropriate measures will be taken by the command”.
Le Monde said it had identified at least one other public Strava profile linked to a French Navy ship on mission in recent days, with users also posting localised activities and photos from on board.