Key Points and Summary – As the U.S. Navy grapples with shipbuilding delays and a stretched carrier fleet, key European NATO allies are stepping up to project power in the Indo-Pacific.
-The aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom (HMS Prince of Wales), France (FS Charles De Gaulle), and Italy (ITS Cavour) have all recently conducted or are currently on deployments in the region.
-This increased European naval presence is a direct signal to China, demonstrating a new era of global power projection for NATO and providing a crucial strategic backstop for the overextended American fleet, much to Beijing’s displeasure.
NATO Navies Show Global Power Projection
If the United States cannot build its new aircraft carriers on time and under budget, maybe the British, French, and Italians can pick up some of the slack in East Asia. These European navies, each with its own carriers, are either currently operating in the Indo-Pacific, or have wrapped up recent tours, to face down the threat from China.
Beijing is not happy about it, but NATO partners have transformed their naval forces into blue-water navies that can project power from European shores all the way to the Western Pacific.
The UK’s Aircraft Carrier Strike Groups Are Blunting China Naval Power
The British carrier HMS Prince of Wales is currently steaming around Oceania and will join the United States and Australia for the Talisman Sabre combined military exercise. The Prince of Wales has enjoyed recent success operating its F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets.
The carrier is now in the Timor Sea headed to Darwin, Australia, for the joint drills. Additionally, the HMS Queen Elizabeth completed a seven-month strike group deployment to East Asia in 2021.
France Is No Stranger to the Indo-Pacific
The French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle in April ended a five-month cruise in the Indo-Pacific. The De Gaulle completed complex operations with aircraft carriers from the U.S. and Japanese navies. This activity culminated in the Pacific Steller 2025 exercise in the Western Pacific, east of the Philippines.
The USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group and the JS Kaga from Japan worked closely with the Charles De Gaulle, giving French aviators valuable experience flying with American and Japanese counterparts. The French flight deck was busy, and the technicians, maintainers, and topside crews did their jobs with skill.
Italy Is Getting Into the Act
Italy’s ITS Cavour aircraft carrier also patrolled the Indo-Pacific with a strike group last year. Italy is not known for its powerful navy, so this deployment was a chance for the Italian Navy to show its ability to steam in a region far away from friendly shores.
The Italians were granted a high level of confidence after this deployment and proved their worth in blue-water carrier-based aviation operations.
China Hates These Aircraft Carrier Deployments
China is not happy with all the European activity in its near-abroad. Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek July 7, “The growing military deployment by countries from outside the region is detrimental to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.”
The European involvement gives relief to the U.S. Navy, which has been forced to deploy two carriers to the Middle East to deter the Yemen-based Houthi terrorists from threatening the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel must be policed as well. Those two carriers cannot be involved in operations in East Asia.
The U.S. carrier fleet is stretched thin by the need to patrol the Mediterranean and Europe, too. The Navy just found out its latest upcoming supercarrier, the USS John F. Kennedy, will be delivered two years late. This means the Pentagon may need to extend the service life of the USS Nimitz to bolster its carrier forces.
The Nimitz has been in action since 1975, so it is not new to the demands of the threat environment posed by China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, as well as the terror groups in the Middle East.
Europeans Have Been Working On Global Carrier Deployment for Decades
Europe has long planned to grow its power projection in East Asia. Efforts to increase the global reach for NATO carriers were formalized by the European Carrier Group Interoperability Initiative in 2008. Much time, money, and effort has been invested in the initiative, and this has paid off with the United Kingdom, France, and Italy spending significant funds on their carrier force and showing the confidence to patrol the Indo-Pacific.
This grants NATO some semblance of global power projection – beyond the U.S. capability – and the ability to conduct muscular diplomacy with China and other adversaries. The Middle Kingdom is witnessing a renaissance in naval power from NATO, and with the United States as its ballast, the alliance can display a newfound confidence in deterring the Chinese navy.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has the largest number of warships in the world. There are three operational carriers, and a fourth is on the way. The PLAN wants to keep at least two carrier strike groups deployed in the Western Pacific at all times.
One problem with all of the ships patrolling in the region is the chance for an accident or miscalculation that could escalate tensions, or even lead to hostilities. The Europeans will have to develop important rules of engagement and be careful during night operations as they rehearse aviation missions around the clock.
Overall, this is a promising development for NATO. The alliance is becoming more of a global force, and the combined maritime strength of alliance members such as Britain, France, and Italy is greater than ever. This allows the United States to breathe easier as its navy responds to threats around the world that require its carriers to be deployed in regions far beyond the Pacific. The more friendly carriers steam in the Indo-Pacific, the better.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
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