Naval Air: July 30, 2002

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Charles de Gaulle, the French Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, returned to its home port of Toulon on 1 July. During its seven months in the War on Terror, its Super Etendard strike aircraft and E-2C Hawkeyes flew 800 missions. (Seven Rafales were on board but were not used in operations.) Ships of the French task force intercepted and inspected 2,000 commercial ships while monitoring the possible movement of terrorists between Asia and Somalia. France said that its squadron of Mirage fighters in Kyrghizstan will come home in September.--Stephen V Cole