Accidental Location Leak of French Aircraft Carrier

A French naval officer went for his morning jog and unintentionally disclosed the real-time location of France’s flagship aircraft carrier. The sailor, referred to as “Arthur,” logged a seven-kilometer run using the popular fitness app Strava while circling the flight deck of the Charles de Gaulle.

Since his account was public, the information he shared pinpointed the ship’s precise location in the eastern Mediterranean, near northwestern Cyprus—an area fraught with regional tensions. Arthur’s jog even took him to the coast of the Cotentin Peninsula, about 40 kilometers from Cherbourg. The carrier has scheduled stops in Copenhagen later this month and in Cyprus in mid-March.

Researchers at Le Monde retrieved geolocation data and compared it with satellite images shortly after the ship’s departure. This match confirmed the carrier’s whereabouts within a limited radius. The pattern of the jogging route around open waters suggested that the ship was quite close, perhaps moving in a convoy.

This incident unfolded amid escalating conflict involving Israel, the U.S., and Iran, as France deployed a carrier strike group. Given the current climate, precise positioning is typically a closely guarded secret. Recently, an attack in the region involved French military assets, resulting in casualties.

The French naval task force consists of the aircraft carrier, a minimum of three frigates, and a supply ship. President Emmanuel Macron announced the deployment shortly after tensions escalated involving Israel and Iran; the carrier had been engaged in NATO exercises in the Baltic Sea until this deployment.

Military officials acknowledged the slip-up and acted quickly to mitigate the repercussions, as reported by Le Monde. They noted that sharing such sensitive information online violated operational protocols, and stressed the need for personnel to maintain strict online behavior. Disciplinary actions are anticipated.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Le Monde identified other sailors with public Strava accounts, including one who had shared a photo that revealed the ship’s location. Some profiles even displayed images of the deck, the crew, and gym equipment onboard.

Such leaks have occurred before; in late 2024, a similar investigation uncovered vulnerabilities in Strava, implicating bodyguards of several world leaders. The app had previously allowed for tracking these operatives. There was also a case in January 2025 when French Navy submariners inadvertently shared patrol data on Strava, which officials deemed a significant error.

The French government did not respond to requests for comment.