Force d ' action navale The Force d ' action navale ( FAN , Naval Action Force ) is the 12 , 000 - man and about 100 - ship strong backbone of the French Navy . As of 2006 , it is commanded by Vice - Amiral d ’ Escadre Philippe Sautter . The ships are divided into seven categories : The aeronaval group . The aeronaval group is the main French Navy power projection force . It is also one of the components of the nuclear deterrence forces , since the embarked Super Étendard and Rafale planes have nuclear capabilities . At minimum , it contains an aircraft carrier ( currently the " Charles De Gaulle " ) , an anti - air frigate , and a support vessel . Typically , this group also includes several anti - air and anti - submarine frigates , nuclear attack submarine ( " Rubis " class submarines and the future " Barracuda " class submarines ) , and possibly additional support ships . The carrier air group can include up to 40 aircraft : Rafale , Super Étendard and E - 2 Hawkeye planes , and Eurocopter Dauphin and Aérospatiale Super Frelon helicopters . This composition varies according to the mission and the tactical environment , and can include aircraft of the " Armée " or the " Armée de l ' Air " . Like any naval force , the aeronaval group can be assisted by land - based Breguet Atlantique aircraft . One of the aeronaval group ' s deployments was to take part in the initial attacks on Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan as part of what became the War in Afghanistan , in response to the September 11th attacks . The group , designated Task Force 473 for the operation , comprised 2 , 900 men under the command of Contre - Amiral François Cluzel and sailed in December 2001 . It consisted of the nuclear aircraft carrier " Charles De Gaulle " , frigates " La Motte - Picquet " , " Jean de Vienne " , " Jean Bart " , the nuclear attack submarine " Rubis " , the tanker " Meuse " , and the aviso " Commandant Ducuing " . The Indian Ocean region deployment lasted for seven months before the group returned to France in mid - 2002 . The number 473 seems to be semi - permanently assigned to the Charles de Gaulle and its task group , being used again during Operation Agapanthe in 2004 . During the 2011 Libyan civil war , the French carrier battle group commanded from " Charles de Gaulle " was designated Task Force 473 and was under the command of Vice - Admiral Phillippe Coindreau . Coindreau was promoted to contre - amiral in September 2009 , and he was named deputy commandant of the aéro - maritime force of rapid réaction at Toulon . In English - language reports , he was described as deputy commander of the High Readiness Force Maritime Headquarter . The amphibious group . The French Navy operates four large amphibious ships , which contain smaller landing craft . Aboard are helicopters , troops , and land vehicles ( Two " Mistral " - class amphibious assault ships and one " Foudre " class ship ) . This force also operates five smaller craft which are based in Fort de France , Toulon , Papeete , Nouméa , and La Réunion . The amphibious groups include one or several landing ships ( " transports de chalands de débarquement " , TCD ) containing landing craft ( " chalands " , CDIC and CTM ) which allow the projection of inter - arm groups with troops , vehicles and helicopters , and one or several light transport ships ( " bâtiments de transport léger " , BATRAL ) which carry motorised infantry companies up to the beaches themselves . They can carry Aérospatiale Puma and Eurocopter Cougar transport helicopters or Aérospatiale Gazelle combat helicopters , the " Commandos Marine " , minesweeping units , or Army units . The TCD ( " Siroco " ) also carry a field hospital fitted with operation blocks . The " Siroco " may also carry a full headquarter for any national or international command . Commander French Maritime Forces ( COMFRMARFOR ) advises ALFAN , the Admiral in command of the Naval Action Force , and when operational at sea commands from the TCDs . Frigates . The frigates are the backbone of the French surface fleet . They secure aero - naval space and allow free action to the other components of the Navy . They are specialised according to the threat , typically escorting other forces ( aeronaval or amphibious groups , submarines or civil ships ) . Minesweepers . The minesweepers secure major French harbours , especially for the ballistic - missile submarines in Brest , and the attack submarines in Toulon . They also stay available to secure access to Toulon , Marseille , any of the harbours of the Atlantic coast , and any Allied harbour simultaneously . They are designed to be used within a larger group , interallied or international , in case of mine risks near coasts . In peace time , these units can bring help and assistance to civilian ships , or search wrecks . This force includes 1 , 100 men and : Sovereignty vessels . These vessels secure access to harbours and carry out police missions . There are six Floreal class frigate s to perform these tasks , mainly by controlling the large French Exclusive Economic Zone , patrolling ocean waters , carrying out police action , and monitoring fishing activities . They are designed to operate in low - risk environments . Five are presently based overseas . The patrol boats of the Gendarmerie Maritime carry out police actions at sea . The five " bâtiments de transports légers " ( BATRAL ) are also used to carry supplies in the DOM / TOM . Support ships . The four support ships allow the French naval forces to be present anywhere on the planet , regardless of the remoteness of their bases . These ships are integrated into tactical groups . They shuttle between harbours and fleets , giving them months of operational capabilities by feeding fuel , ammunitions , food , water , spare parts and mail . There is also one permanent mechanics ship , the " Jules Verne " , which can repair other ships . Hydrographic and océanographic vessels . One hydro - oceanographic and four hydrographic ships help carrying out mapping and research operations , as well as gathering intelligence which could prove useful to the deployment of naval forces and their weapon systems . They operate under the " service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine " ( SHOM ) . The trial and measurement ship " Monge " is used to develop new weapon systems , especially those related to nuclear deterrence .