French sailor gave away location of nuclear-powered warship in Middle East by logging run on Strava
A French sailor revealed the location of an aircraft carrier by tracking his jog on the vessel’s deck using popular fitness app Strava.
The sailor used Strava to monitor his workout on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier as it sailed through the eastern Mediterranean Sea amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
He used a smartwatch to track his 4.3-mile, 35-minute jog, which he publicly uploaded immediately afterwards, Le Monde reported.
The French newspaper verified the leak using satellite imagery captured shortly after the sailor’s exercise, confirming the aerial view of the 262-meter-long carrier northwest of Cyprus.
France’s Armed Forces General Staff said uploading the run was not in compliance with current directives on digital security, adding that “appropriate measures will be taken by the command.”
At least one other crew member actively deployed aboard a French naval vessel publicly uploaded a geolocated workout, according to Le Monde.
The outlet had previously warned of security risks linked to Strava, using the publicly available information on the app to establish the patrol schedules of French nuclear submarines and reveal sensitive data on the bodyguards of world leaders, including those of Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Vladimir Putin.
As the flagship of the French Navy, the Charles de Gaulle is the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier not operated by the US military.
French president Emmanuel Macron ordered the vessel’s deployment to the Mediterranean on 3 March, shortly after the United States and Israel’s war with Iran began on 28 February.
Four days before the sailor recorded his exercise, Mr Macron delivered a speech aboard the carrier, saying: “France is there to protect its own, to be at the side of its allies and friends who are being hit.”
“Your presence today demonstrates the power of France, a balancing power, one of peace,” he added.
The scale of France’s response to the conflict has surpassed that of most Western allies, deploying eight warships and two helicopter carriers to the region, in addition to the Charles de Gaulle carrier group.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the French government – alongside Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Japan – said they would “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres on Wednesday applauded the restraint shown by France and their European allies in refusing to be drawn into the conflict, despite Mr Trump’s repeated demands that they send vessels to break Iran’s command over naval traffic through the strait.
