The Middle East unrest has caused global fuel prices to soar. The world’s leading militaries are on high alert and the secrecy of their operational locations has to be tightened. But the location of the French Republic Navy’s aircraft carrier has been exposed due to Strava data.
The location of the Charles de Gaulle was revealed to be in the Mediterranean Sea after a military officer uploaded his exercise activity to the Strava app. The ship’s location was spotted by a Le Monde reporter and prompted the French Armed Forces General Staff to immediately conduct an internal review.
Although France rejected a US request to send a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, the Charles de Gaulle was sent to the Mediterranean Sea to defend military assets if needed. The disclosure of the ship’s location is serious because it could be used by opponents to plan attacks.
This is not the first time that Strava data has exposed the secret locations of military personnel. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the locations of military personnel’s headquarters were exposed due to Strava a few years ago. Orders were then given for the GPS systems of smartwatches and health trackers to be turned off by personnel on duty. This year, smart glasses and Bluetooth earphones were banned by the United States Air Force to prevent personnel from accidentally leaking their location.
