France to send its largest warship to join operations against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq

France is sending its largest warship to join operations against Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq. Its involvement in the campaign will shorten the time it takes for French jets to carry out air strikes. France has been targeting IS in Iraq as part of the US-led coalition since September 2014. In September this year French forces began air strikes in Syria. The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier has already been deployed against IS. The ship - France's only such vessel - was used as a base for French jets in the Gulf from February to April. France is currently using six Mirage jets stationed in Jordan and six Rafale jets in the United Arab Emirates to target IS. The aircraft carrier can hold up to 40 aircraft and support 100 flights a day. French officials have described the air strikes on IS as self defence, after Islamist gunmen killed 17 people in twin attacks in Paris at the start of the year. Since that time, French fighter jets have carried out 271 strikes in 1,285 aerial missions across Iraq.