France withdraws aircraft carrier from Libya mission

PARIS: France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will next week return home for maintenance from its mission supporting NATO airstrikes on Libya, defence minister Gerard Longuet said in an interview Thursday.

The vessel, France's only aircraft carrier and Europe's biggest warship, will leave on August 10 to head for its home port of Toulon for several weeks of maintenance work, he told Var-Matin newspaper.

The French navy website however said the work would take several months.

Longuet insisted that France would maintain its commitment to the Libya mission, where since March the alliance has conducted air strikes against Moamer Qadhafi's forces as part of a UN mandate to protect civilians.

"Qadhafi should not expect any respite," he said, adding that French warplanes would keep up their strikes and reconnaissance flights from land bases.

Longuet's announcement came three days after Norway withdrew its final four F-16 fighter jets that have been taking part in the NATO-led mission over Libya.

Italy, Libya's former colonial ruler, last month scaled back its involvement in the operation by withdrawing the aircraft carrier Garibaldi.

Only eight of NATO's 28 member states have flown bombing missions since the alliance took command of the operation on March 31: Norway, Britain, France, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Italy and the United States.

London has increased its contribution by adding four Tornado jets, effectively making up for the loss of the Norwegian planes.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011