As reported by the French newspaper Le Monde, Arthur (a pseudonym) was in the habit of jogging on the aircraft carrier’s deck. To track his performance, approximately seven kilometres in 35 minutes, he used his smartwatch and the Strava app, on which he maintains a public profile.
Strava is popular worldwide among sports enthusiasts, as it allows users to record their performance in running, cycling, and other sports. The app uses GPS to pinpoint the user’s exact location and uploads the data to the internet.
When a profile is set to public, anyone can see when and where the user exercised, as well as the route they took. In this way, “Arthur” revealed, almost in real time, the position of the aircraft carrier and its escort northwest of Cyprus, approximately 100 kilometres from the Turkish coast.
The presence of the French naval aviation group in the area, which includes at least three frigates and a supply ship, is not a secret. However, as Le Monde points out, making the task force’s exact location publicly available on the internet constitutes a dangerous act of negligence, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Security Concerns
The concern is heightened by the fact that, in recent weeks, two French military bases in the region have been attacked by the Iranian-aligned camp, resulting in the death of one and the wounding of six French soldiers.
“Arthur’s” activity log on the app reveals his route: on February 14 he was at sea, 40 kilometres from Cherbourg, France; on February 26 and 27 he was on land in Copenhagen, while the aircraft carrier had docked in Malmö, Sweden. On March 13, according to the data, he was northwest of Cyprus, information that was confirmed a few days later through satellite imagery.
Response from the French General Staff
When asked for comment, the General Staff of the French Armed Forces confirmed that the publication of this route on Strava “does not comply with the applicable directives.” It was stressed that sailors are regularly briefed and that “appropriate measures will be taken by the command.”
“Arthur” is not the only one to have been identified. According to Le Monde, on a naval vessel that has been operating in recent days, at least one more public profile is publishing exercise activities with a location, thereby revealing the ship’s position. These profiles also feature photographs of the bridge, other military personnel, or sports equipment inside the vessels.
