Macron announces that France will build a new aircraft carrier, which will replace “Charles de Gaulle” in 2038
French aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle”. Photo credit: Ted ALJIBE / AFP / Profimedia
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed on Sunday the plans to build a new, larger and more modern aircraft carrier, which will replace the current “Charles de Gaulle” aircraft carrier and strengthen France's capacity as a maritime power.
President Macron, who first floated the idea of this project in 2020, made the announcement during a visit to French troops stationed at a military base in Abu Dhabi, located near the Strait of Hormuz, an essential strategic point for global oil flows, Reuters and News.ro report.
“The decision to launch this vast program was taken this week,” Emmanuel Macron said, stressing that the project will have a positive impact on France's industrial base, especially on small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, stated in a message published on the X network that the new aircraft carrier is scheduled to enter service in 2038, when the current Charles de Gaulle would be retired. The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle entered service in 2001, some 15 years after it was commissioned.
Also a nuclear powered ship
The initiative is not without controversy. Some French parliamentarians from the center and moderate left have recently suggested postponing the project, citing the tense situation of France's public finances.
Nevertheless, France remains one of the main military powers in Europe and is part of the small group of five states officially recognized as possessing nuclear weapons, a status that the authorities in Paris want to support by modernizing its maritime fleet.
Also a nuclear-powered ship, the new aircraft carrier will be much more massive than the current one, writes AFP. It will have almost 80,000 tons at a length of 310 meters, compared to 42,000 tons and 261 meters in length in the case of Charles de Gaulle. With a crew of 2,000 sailors, the new aircraft carrier will be able to carry 30 fighter jets.
