In order to replace Charles de Gaulle, France is preparing to construct a future-generation aircraft carrier.
Similar aircraft launch and recovery systems will be available on the next carrier as on the newest US carriers.
The brand-new French carrier is anticipated to launch in 2038 and operate through at least 2080.
General Atomics, a US defense company, revealed in September that the US Navy had awarded it a contract to continue the development and testing of its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear in anticipation of a prospective sale to France.
The Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Generation project, also known as PANG, or “New Generation Aircraft Carrier,” is France’s ambitious plan to construct a brand-new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
The yet-to-be-named vessel will take the place of Charles de Gaulle, the current carrier of France. The French navy will gain the status of operating a “supercarrier,” a title held by just a select few militaries, thanks to PANG, which will be far larger than its predecessor.
France’s two Clemenceau-class carriers, Clemenceau and Foch, which were retired in 1997 and 2000, respectively, were replaced by Charles de Gaulle, which was launched in 1994 and put into service in 2001. (Foch was purchased by Brazil and served there until 2018).
The French navy’s current flagship is Charles de Gaulle. When fully loaded, it moves over 42,000 tones and is 858 feet long. It has a crew of 1,350 people and a 650-person air wing. 800 troops can also board it.
It is the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside of the United States. Its two K15 pressurized water reactors enable it to travel at a top speed of roughly 27 knots and a range that is only constrained by the crew’s stamina.
Its catapults are scaled-down copies of those seen on Nimitz-class US Navy carriers. In July, Adm. Pierre Vandier, the chief of staff of the French navy, stated of Charles de Gaulle, “An American officer is present among the crew of the aircraft carrier to ensure the maintenance interfaces.”
There will be “similar cooperation’s” with the US “to support the ramp-up in operational power and to ensure the maintenance of these catapults,” Vandier told Naval News. “For the future aircraft carrier it was also decided to go for American equipment, which will be electromagnetic catapults and electromagnetic arresting gear.”
However, it typically consists of 30 Rafale M fighters, two E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control planes, and a combination of NH90, AS565 Panther, and AS365 Dauphin helicopters. De Gaulle can sail with an air wing of up to 40 aircraft.
In addition to its air wing, Charles de Gaulle is equipped with two six-cell Sadral launchers for Mistral anti-air missiles and four eight-cell Sylver VLS launchers for MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles.
During Operation Enduring Freedom, Charles de Gaulle’s first combat deployment, its aircraft conducted 700 missions against Taliban targets. The carrier assisted in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya in 2011.
Charles de Gaulle has also been particularly active in the fight against ISIS, conducting bombings from the Persian Gulf against targets in Iraq in 2015 and from the Mediterranean in support of the liberation of Mosul in 2016. In light of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine this year, it helped bolster NATO’s presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Despite typically running two carriers at once, Charles de Gaulle’s equivalent was never built by France. A carrier designed after the British navy’s Queen Elizabeth class was in the works, but those plans were shelved in 2013.
However, in 2018, France’s minister of defense announced that fresh efforts to succeed Charles de Gaulle were under way. French President Emmanuel Macron formally launched the proposal in December 2020.
Compared to Charles de Gaulle, PANG will be a major improvement. It will be roughly 984 feet long and have a displacement of about 74,000 tones, matching the other active “supercarriers,” which typically move more than 65,000 tones.
The PANG, like its forerunner, will be fueled by two K22 reactors, each of which can produce 220 megawatts. (Each K15 produces 150 megawatts.) The reactors, according to French authorities, will allow the navy to project electricity abroad while cutting emissions.
It is anticipated that the PANG’s air wing will be bigger than Charles de Gaulle’s and will consist of at least 32 fighters as well as an unspecified number of support planes, helicopters, and drones.
The naval version of the sixth-generation fighter jet being jointly developed by France, Germany, and Spain, the New Generation Fighter, is anticipated to be part of the air wing in addition to the Rafale M. NGFs will eventually make up the whole PANG air wing.
The Gerald R. Ford-class carriers of the US Navy will use the same EMALS and AAG systems as the PANG. Instead of using steam, EMALS launches fixed-wing aircraft more smoothly and at significantly higher speeds because to the use of linear induction motors.
The US Navy has struggled using EMALS, although subsequent modifications have improved the system’s dependability. In July, the Navy reported that EMALS and AAG on board USS Gerald R. Ford had launched 10,000 aircraft.
The PANG’s construction is anticipated to begin in 2025. The ship is anticipated to undergo its first sea trials in 2036 and be commissioned in 2038, which is also predicted to be Charles de Gaulle’s last year of active duty.
The PANG will take Charles de Gaulle’s place as the French navy’s flagship once it is commissioned. It is anticipated to remain in use at least until 2080.