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France to Build Europe’s Largest Warship—A Nuclear Aircraft Carrier With US Technology

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Vlad Litnarovych
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France to Build Europe’s Largest Warship—A Nuclear Aircraft Carrier With US Technology
Illustrative image. A representational model of France’s future PA-NG nuclear aircraft carrier. (Source: Wikimedia)

France is preparing to place a formal order for the PA-NG (Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération), a next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier poised to become the largest warship ever built in Europe, defense outlet Army Recognition reported on May 5.

The order is expected by the end of 2025, with construction slated to begin in the early 2030s and full operational capability targeted for 2038.

The 78,000-ton vessel—measuring 310 meters in length and 85 meters across the beam—will eventually replace the Charles de Gaulle, the French Navy’s only aircraft carrier, in service since 2001.

Designed for strategic missions ranging from deterrence to intervention, the PA-NG will be powered by two K22 nuclear reactors, each generating 220 megawatts of electricity for an all-electric propulsion system offering unlimited range.

A French Air Force Rafale jet fighter takes off from the bridge of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the Navy exercise “Gallic strike” off the coast of Toulon, south-eastern France on June 3, 2021. (Source: Getty Images)
A French Air Force Rafale jet fighter takes off from the bridge of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the Navy exercise “Gallic strike” off the coast of Toulon, south-eastern France on June 3, 2021. (Source: Getty Images)

In a key upgrade, the carrier will feature three Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems and three Advanced Arresting Gear systems provided by the US company General Atomics under a $41.6 million contract.

These next-gen systems also used on the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford class, will allow the launch of both heavy sixth-generation fighters and lightweight drones—expanding the French Navy’s operational flexibility far beyond that of the Charles de Gaulle.

With a capacity for more than 40 aircraft, the PA-NG will host Rafale M jets, E-2D Hawkeyes, helicopters, and drones, eventually transitioning to the Future Combat Air System Next Generation Fighter.

The expansive 17,000 m² flight deck—5,000 more than its predecessor—will be supported by upgraded elevators and a two-deck hangar.

American Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford arrives, on November 14, 2022, in Gosport, England. The world’s largest warship, which at 333m long is bigger than the 284m HMS Queen Elizabeth, has been carrying out NATO exercises in the North Atlantic with French and Spanish ships. (Source: Getty Images)
American Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald Ford arrives, on November 14, 2022, in Gosport, England. The world’s largest warship, which at 333m long is bigger than the 284m HMS Queen Elizabeth, has been carrying out NATO exercises in the North Atlantic with French and Spanish ships. (Source: Getty Images)

Defense systems include 24 Aster missiles in vertical launchers, 40 mm Bofors guns, and Simbad-RC launchers firing Mistral 3 missiles. Plans also include space and power provisions for future directed-energy weapons.

The PA-NG will be built in Saint-Nazaire by MO Porte-Avions, a joint venture of Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Reactor development falls to TechnicAtome.

A preliminary contract covering long-lead items for the nuclear boiler rooms was awarded in April 2024, marking the program’s transition into early production stages.

While France had once envisioned a second aircraft carrier, budget limitations make that unlikely in the short term.

Illustrative image. A representational model of France’s future PA-NG nuclear aircraft carrier in comparison with the Charles de Gaulle, the only aircraft carrier in service of the French Navy at the moment. (Source: Wikimedia)
Illustrative image. A representational model of France’s future PA-NG nuclear aircraft carrier in comparison with the Charles de Gaulle, the only aircraft carrier in service of the French Navy at the moment. (Source: Wikimedia)

However, Paris is considering a possible life extension of Charles de Gaulle through 2048, allowing overlap if the PA-NG program faces delays or to enable dual-carrier operations.

Earlier, France successfully tested a suicide naval drone, inspired by Ukrainian MAGURA V5 drones, striking a decommissioned barge off the coast of Toulon in a live-fire experiment that underscores the growing interest in unmanned maritime warfare.

The test, part of the French Navy’s POLARIS initiative to prepare for high-intensity conflict, involved a modified jet ski-turned-drone targeting a retired Chaland de Transport de Matériel landing vessel. The hull was reinforced with metal plating and surrounded by tires to prevent it from sinking during the test.

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