Iran war: How fitness tracking app Strava gave up location of sensitive aircraft carrier

A 36-minute workout by a French naval officer exposed the location of one of France's most sensitive military assets at a time when tensions are at their peak in West Asia.

According to the French newspaper, Le Monde, a young sailor aboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle logged his exercise session on the public fitness app Strava, unintentionally broadcasting the vessel's position in the Mediterranean Sea during an active deployment.

The data placed the carrier northwest of Cyprus, about 100 kilometres from the Turkish coast. France had announced the carrier’s deployment on March 3, following joint US-Israel strikes on Iran.

Strava, used by roughly 120 million people globally, allows users to share geolocated fitness activity. In this case, the publicly accessible entry enabled tracking not just of the individual’s movement but also of the carrier's location and its accompanying fleet in near real time.

How Strava works:

• Set up account: Users download the app, register, and allow location permissions

• Select activity: Choose an activity such as running, walking or cycling

• GPS lock & start: The app acquires the GPS signal before recording begins

• Record & manage: Movement is tracked continuously, with real-time stats and route mapping

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• Finish & save: The activity is saved and can be uploaded publicly with maps and details

How Strava tracks your location:

• GPS technology: Uses the device’s built-in GNSS/GPS chip to capture satellite signals

• Real-time data: Continuously records geographical coordinates during the activity

• Map mapping: Plots movement onto a map, showing exact routes after completion

• Device sync: Can also pull location data from devices like Garmin, Apple Watch or Fitbit

How did Le Monde track the location?

Le Monde said it corroborated the information using satellite imagery captured shortly after the workout, which showed the distinctive outline of the 262-metre-long nuclear-powered vessel in the same area.

France's Armed Forces General Staff acknowledged the lapse, telling the outlet that posting such activity did not comply with operational digital security rules. It added that "appropriate measures will be taken by the command".

Not the first time

This wasn't a one-off incident. Le Monde identified at least one other crew member on active deployment who had shared geolocated fitness activity online, from photos of the ship's deck to fellow sailors and onboard equipment.

Meanwhile, despite US President Donald Trump's appeals to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil and gas shipping route controlled by Iran, France remained non-committal.

"We are willing to do something to free the Strait of Hormuz, provided that this is not a war situation anymore. Nobody wants to go across the Strait of Hormuz if there's a risk of missiles or drones going on your head," French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told CNBC.