A French Navy patrol vessel conducted what authorities described as a scheduled firearms training exercise in the English Channel while a BBC crew was aboard a nearby boat conducting an interview with Conservative MP Chris Philp regarding small boat crossings.
The incident occurred at approximately 09:15 BST when the patrol boat PSP Flamant passed within 300 meters of the fishing vessel hosting the interview, which was positioned roughly three miles from the French coast. According to BBC journalist Michael Keohan, approximately 17 shots were fired without advance warning to the British vessel. Philp characterized the gunfire as an apparent intimidation tactic intended to discourage media coverage of migrant crossing operations in the channel. The captain of the fishing boat stated he had not previously witnessed a similar occurrence.
French authorities provided an official statement explaining that the PSP Flamant had been conducting a routine handgun training exercise as part of standard operational readiness procedures. They indicated that appropriate safety protocols and international regulatory signals were displayed during the exercise, and that the British vessel was positioned outside the designated firing range. The French statement also specified that the patrol boat was not engaged in monitoring migrant boat activity at the time of the training exercise.
Philp disputed the French characterization, stating that no advance warnings regarding live-fire exercises had been communicated and that the lack of notification appeared inconsistent with proper maritime safety procedures. He indicated he would raise the matter with the French ambassador. A UK government representative declined to comment beyond noting the incident remained a matter for French authorities to address.
The incident follows a separate exercise conducted earlier in the month when a Russian warship shadowed by a Royal Navy vessel carried out a live-fire artillery exercise approximately 46 miles south of Plymouth.
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