The top secret location of a French aircraft carrier deployed towards the Middle East was revealed after an officer used Strava on the deck.
French publication Le Monde reported that the officer, referred to as Arthur, logged a 35-minute run on the app while exercising on the deck of aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on 13 March.
After recording the run on his smartwatch, he uploaded it to Strava. This created a map that then revealed his, and therefore the aircraft carrier’s, location.
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The Charles de Gaulle vessel is the main part of a carrier strike group recently deployed to the eastern Mediterranean by the French, the ministry of armed forces said.
In a statement to AFP news agency, the French armed forces said the incident did “not comply with the current instructions” and appropriate measures would be taken if the report was true.
Le Monde reports that the vessel’s location was revealed to be northwest of Cyprus, around 100km (62 miles) from the Turkish coast.
Satellite images captured the carrier and its escort, the publication said.
France has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East amid the continuing Iran war.
The ministry said the Charles de Gaulle had been deployed to “protect French nationals, defend France’s interests in the region, and support its partners and allies”.