France’s Next-Generation Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: PANG (Infographics)

France's Next-Generation Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: PANG (Infographics)

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On December 8th, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France’s next-generation aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered and replace the national fleet’s flagship warship in 2038.

The 11th carrier-vessel in the French Navy’s history will be built by French defence contractor Naval Group and equipped with the new electromagnetic aircraft launch system developed by U.S. company General Atomics, according to French officials.

On Twitter, Florence Parly, France’s Minister for the Armed Forces, provided some detail about the planned specifications and capabilities of the PANG. The future aircraft carrier will be just over 984 feet long and displace approximately 75,000 metric tons.

The Charles de Gaulle is around 858 feet long and displaces just 42,500 metric tons.

It will be able to carry up to 30 Rafale fighter jets or the successor of the Dassault warplane currently being developed by France, Germany and Spain.

“Charles de Gaulle, as you know, will come to the end of its life in 2038. This is why I have decided that the future aircraft carrier that will equip our country and our navy will be nuclear-powered like the Charles de Gaulle,” Macron said. “Your plant in Le Creusot, which has been producing parts essential to our navy for a long time, will produce, among others, several major parts of the nuclear boiler [reactor] of the future aircraft carrier by forging and machining them right here. … By these choices, we confirm France’s desire to preserve its strategic autonomy.”

The French military had initially lent towards a ship with conventional propulsion, but later decided to go for a nuclear-powered vessel, despite heavier construction costs, for technical and strategic reasons.

“Out strategic future, our status as a great power, lies with the nuclear industry,” Macron said.

The French state will invest one billion euros during the first development phase that will end in 2025, the Ministry of Armed Forces said. Ministry officials declined to comment on media reports that the vessel could cost more than 5 billion euros.

“Naval Group is very proud to build the largest warship ever built in France”, the company CEO, Pierre Eric Pommelet, said in a statement.

France's Next-Generation Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier: PANG (Infographics)

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occupybacon

Is it a mini Tour Eiffel on the citadel?

Samuel Vanguard

another boondogle

JIMI JAMES

Maybe,but will france make it till then under micron do’minion/4th reicht policys?

HiaNd

A tribute to colonial past and attempt to preserve (non existing) global influence.

God

The only European nation truly challenging Turkey in the Mediterranean

HiaNd

You make it sound romantic.
French tend to consider “Mediterranean” as their (EU-ropean) region of influence.
Of course they snub US and Russia but they hate less powerful as competition.
All North Africa down to the Lebanon had French fingers mixed in their political past.
So they do not like when growing new-comers like Turkey, contest French “primacy” in the region.

Vox Populi

Obviously France is suffering from a grand delusion, it is a failed state falling apart at its socio-economic seams and vertically challenged Macron is creating a fascist police state at home and then also wants to project a neo-colonial pipe dream with this $5 billion antiquated floating detritus.

thomas

yes all because of its growing Islamic population

Lone Ranger

So about the same as the Crumbling U.S. Empire…

Rafael

Obviously @Anus Populi is suffering from a grand delusion (among other psychoses), he is a failed troll falling apart at his pretentious yet clueless and utterly worthless trolling. This vertically challenged/mentally challenged retard projects stupidity from his every comment, especially with his antiquated floating bullshit.

Potato Man

SF, I appreciate you guys for taking feedback, thank you.

Lone Ranger

Archaic concept, even within that concept is archaic.
U.S. carriers could carry more jets in the 60s.

Rafael

Archaic perhaps, but stylish ?

swedish_viking

It will be interesting following this program since i do think that the program cost seems to low.

Jamie9260

I feel that air craft are only really good for bullying countries with weaker military’s the US carriers no matter how many aircrafts they carry going up against China and even more so Russia is the world leader in anti craft @ ship rocket technology by far right now, these aircraft carriers would have to operate so far from the conflict that they air craft they carry would almost be out of range before a shot was fired in addition to have an S-400 waiting you, A nice show piece yes, a big clumsy target even more so?

Blas de Lezo

And this 4.5 billion Euro behemoth can be sent to the bottom of the sea by a 560 km/h supercavitating torpedo worth about one million dollars.

Nosferatu

this is not getting built. Why? Cos soon France will become a caliphate….

Jack Bauer

Hahaha. They have no resources. They want to try and re colonize parts of Africa and the Middle East. These european pirates need to be murked with extreme prejudice. They only know how to be thieving pirates and nothing more. Everything else is a facade. For the stupid peasants.

cechas vodobenikov

probably will be used as prison colony for yellow vests