Deployment of the French Frigate Bretagne in the Indo-Pacific: Implementing French Strategy in the Region

The deployment of the French Navy’s multi-mission frigate (FREMM) Bretagne in the Indo-Pacific in recent months demonstrates France’s capability to project power far from the mainland and solidifies its Indo-Pacific strategy.

Operating in the Asia-Pacific region presents a considerable logistical challenge, requiring careful planning, anticipation and rigorous oversight. Having logistical and technical support points is crucial.
For the first time, a French first-rank frigate participated in a multilateral exercise in the South China Sea (Valiant Shield 2024). The exchanges, port calls and joint exercises contribute to mutual understanding and the building of trust, which are essential for solid and lasting cooperation.
Demonstrating action and projection capabilities is part of the French military’s strategic signaling policy aimed at its counterparts in the region. However, the relative discretion of the TANSKORN mission shows that France could benefit from strengthening its strategic communication to better convey and explain the stakes of its deployments.
Available in:
Themes and regions
ISBN / ISSN
Share
Download the full analysis
This page contains only a summary of our work. If you would like to have access to all the information from our research on the subject, you can download the full version in PDF format.
Deployment of the French Frigate Bretagne in the Indo-Pacific: Implementing French Strategy in the Region
Related centers and programs
Discover our other research centers and programsFind out more
Discover all our analysesSri Lanka’s NPP Government. From System Change to Structural Compliance
In September 2024, a relative outsider to Sri Lanka’s two-party-dominated political system, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, won the presidential elections. The anti-establishment, populist movement he represented, the National People’s Power (NPP), went on to receive an overwhelming mandate in the November 2024 general elections, winning 159 seats in a 225-member parliament.
Japan Under Trump: Alliance Strains, the Push for Autonomy and Essential Partnerships
Japan is under pressure from the United States (US) on punitive tariffs and demands for increased defence spending. This has sparked deep concern over US credibility and triggered growing domestic calls for greater autonomy.
Quest for Strategic Autonomy? Europe Grapples with the US - China Rivalry
Building on the 2020 European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC) report, which assessed Europe’s positioning amid the strategic rivalry between the United States and China, this edition re-examines the geopolitical landscape in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House. This report features 22 national chapters and one dedicated to the EU, analysing the evolution of Europe’s relations with Washington and Beijing, the range of approaches to dealing the US-China rivalry and how these are expected to evolve.

France seeks third way between US and China in Southeast Asia
The French leader sent a message of partnership but gave few concrete details on sustained engagement plans.