France has formally decided to proceed with the construction of a next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the decision over the weekend, telling French troops that approval for the programme had been taken this week. The announcement, reported by Reuters on Sunday, clears the way for France to move from long-running design work into the execution phase of the project, known as the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG).
The new carrier is intended to replace the Charles de Gaulle, France’s sole aircraft carrier, which entered service in 2001 and is expected to retire in the late 2030s. At around 78,000 tonnes, the PA-NG will be substantially larger than its predecessor and, once built, would become the largest warship ever constructed in Europe.
French defence officials have previously indicated that the carrier will be equipped with three electromagnetic aircraft launch systems and three advanced arresting gear systems, supplied by US firm General Atomics under a contract worth $41.6 million. These systems, already in use on the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, will allow the French Navy to operate a broader mix of aircraft, including heavier future fighters as well as lighter uncrewed systems.
The carrier is expected to embark more than 40 aircraft, including Rafale M fighters, E-2D Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, helicopters and drones. Over time, it is also intended to support France’s future next-generation combat aircraft being developed under the Future Combat Air System programme.
Design work points to a significantly enlarged flight deck of around 17,000 square metres, providing greater sortie generation rates and operational flexibility than the Charles de Gaulle. Propulsion will be provided by two new K22 nuclear reactors, each generating roughly 220 megawatts of electrical power to support all-electric ship systems as well as the demands of electromagnetic launch equipment.
While Macron’s confirmation signals political commitment, major milestones remain ahead. Defence industry reporting from France earlier this year suggested the formal construction order was expected before the end of 2025, with physical build work likely to begin in the early 2030s. Full operational capability is currently targeted for around 2038.
Image via Rama, CC3.
I can’t see them ordering just one. Shame they didn’t go with PA2. Also, I love that image rusted the ship up. lol
I meant “I can see them ordering just one”
I believe it is only one.
Will.it have plansa on it??? Ohhh.
Won’t Rafale M be a bit ing in the tooth then? But I think it would dit the next gen of French fighter on it. Must be an expensive aircraft though for a small construction run even though modified from the Armee del L Air design
The Future European combat aircraft has hit a snag. France will have to go it alone. I can see the Germans joining Tempest/ GCAP alongside UK, Italy, Japan
Saudi Arabia are likely customers of Tempest as are many European NATO states.
The Franco-Germsnic programme is in well documented deep trouble as the French tried to push for sole production, intellectual property rights on joint developed tech and for a whole host of other fine details that would have cost the Germans and only lead to French industrial and jobs growth.
Should have had a Ski Ramp 😎😎😎
A true aircraft carrier that wouldn’t need Yankee planes on its deck to fill it.
Considering the state of FCAS it risks only have 4th gen fighters in an era of 6th gen.
Yep. FCAS is pretty much dead in the water after French industrial shenanigans and arguments over production site, work share, intellectual property and export rights.
The Germans will wait for Tempest or F46 and see which one they can get authorisation to purchase.
Like the US Ec-2 Haweye ?
Yeah those ‘Yankee’ carriers are terrible aircraft carriers right?
Yeah those ‘Yankee’ carriers are terrible aircraft carriers right?
Tho reliant of course on US kit to the airplanes airborne…three EMALS systems from General Atomics will set you back far more than $40 mil btw…
Personally I would say 2 slightly worse carriers are better than 1 better carrier.
Whenever the CDG is in port France effectively has no carrier.
That said, with the state of their finances I can’t see either happening. And by the time this carrier will enter service the Rafale will be pretty outdated
A shame they didn’t go with the smaller PA2 i.e. Queen Elizabeth class but with the angled deck.
Yes but they at least contribute a small sum of money into the QEC designs, then took those designs and will no doubt be adapting them. PANG will be very similar to the PA2 hull form, lengthened and nuclear propulsion added minus 2 islands.
I see that they have already given the contract to redevelop the port for the new Carrier.
Well here we go again, France will cut back on just about anything to fund this one single carrier and it’s mainly down to prestige as no sane country would commit to having a part time Carrier capability (not even we were that daft).
The K22 will again be a LEU reactor so needs to refuel every few years, only sensible way to operate would be to mainly run with one reactor at a time to conserve core life and then refuel one at a time.
This is all mainly due to the French Nuclear industry running out of work there just isn’t enough workload to maintain it with just 10 boats. One of the consequences of building the CDG was the existing SSN Rubin had to soldier on way longer than designed for due the budget being hoovered up.
IMHO they should have been more pragmatic, built to new Carriers based on the QE plans (which they bought off UK) and enlarged their Submarine fleet instead.
That is unless France persuades the EU to stump up for a 2nd one, which is unlikely as Italy is doing a feasibility study of building their own CVN.
Agree to all that.
The EU won’t fund a second “Euro” carrier. They are fed up with France trying to call the shots and control EU defence programmes.
FCAS is dead in the water.
Many EU nations are striving to agree bilateral defence export and trade deals with the UK after the UK was effectively banned from bidding for SAFE funded programmes owing to the ludicrous contribution fee. £6-14 billion asked for originally not sure final figure, it was somewhere around £2-3 billion just to bid for funding as a MINORITY programme contributor. The UK was banned from market share over 40% on any programme within SAFE as well as compelled to share it’s defence intellectual property with the EU. France pushed for that, leading to the UK having to decline joining.
It’s an exercise in Gallic pride, they have the only nuclear carrier in Europe and have made it ever so slightly larger and longer than the QEs where CdG was much smaller. They were going to do the same with PA2 even though it was based off the same design.
And Italy are not so stupid as to blow their wad on a single huge nuclear carrier.. if they do it I would imagine it will be in a sustainable way.
It’ll be a part time Carrier strike availability, just like Charles de Gaulle, but great to see nonetheless. She will be a fabulous Carrier, one of the best in the world.
More to do with prestige than common sense. Maybe fifteen years to build? I’m not sure what the future is with carriers. A couple of hypersonic missiles fired from hundreds of miles away?
Naval group reckon they can build PANG for €7-8 billion.
I think 15-20 year build and at least €16-18 billion equivalent too twice the cost of BOTH QEC carriers. Discussed with a naval architect friend and he agreed, there is zero chance this huge ship is coming in on budget, on time and not costing around €16 billion minimum, potentially upto €20 billion
I’d rather have 4 QECs, at least they are efficient and can be fitted with EMALS in the future.
The French should have just got PA2 and ordered two.
Back in the days when there was serious discussion about the French Navy using a modified CVF design, I recall reading on Beedall’s old site, Navy Matters, the French Military’s preference for aircraft carriers as such:
1 – Two nuclear powered
2 – Two conventional powered
3 – One nuclear
4 – One conventional
The first preference is prohibitively expensive and the second is seen as a backwards step technologically. Third choice it is then, but what a beast it’ll be. Comfortably the finest carrier outside the USN, if everything pans out.
Think the Chinese will have something to say about that. They’ve got two very large nuclear powered carriers in build right now. Carrier 004 and 005.
Don’t think PANG will be ready before 2042. So until then CdG will have to soldier on.
Where does the figure of $41.6 million for EMALS come from? 15 years ago, the UK was quoted $1 billion per unit and I read about the same for the French a few months ago?
It’s probably the feasibility cost. The Ford class carriers EMALS and Advanced arrestor gear cost around $2.5 billion per carrier hull. That’s for 4 EMALS launchers and the arrestor gear.
It’s a really weird aircraft carrier. That stern just doesn’t look right and cuts down on deck area for apparently no benefit.
In the picture, It looks like It’s running away !
(look, I’m only saying what It looks like, no ref to white flags or any sort of anti frog feelings, I actually love the French, they make great food and I met one once. )
Taste like chicken.
I blame the Druids.
The French or frogs?
Silly to just have one, unless they already have an agreement that one of ours will represent them.
Hopefully they order something soon CDG is getting on and if they go with this design it’s going to take well over a decade.
Oh la la, magnifique !
It’s how I like my women — big and beautiful.
Seriously though, good luck to them. We need our European friends to stay in the carrier game.
🇫🇷🛩️ (F-35C) 🥖🏳️🍷