French President Emmanuel Macron today announced that France’s
PA-Ng next generation aircraft carrier programme will proceed to the
realization phase. This major milestone confirms that the French Navy’s
current CVN Charles de Gaulle will be replaced from 2038.
“In this age of predators, we must be strong to be feared. And in
particular, strong at sea! That is why, in accordance with the last two
military planning laws, and after a thorough and careful review, I have
decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier. The decision to
launch the realisation of this major program was made this week.”
Madam Minister of the Armed Forces, please accept my sincere
thanks for the high-quality work carried out with the General Staffs,
the DGA [Ed. note: Defense procurement agency], the CEA [Ed. note: Atomic Energy Commission],
and industry partners. This project will directly benefit our economy
and the 800 suppliers involved, 80% of whom are SMEs. I will personally
guarantee this commitment to our businesses by visiting the shipyard
next February to meet with them.” Emmanuel Macron added.
“This new aircraft
carrier will be a testament to our nation’s power, a power of industry
and technology. Power at the service of freedom on the high seas. And in
the turbulent waters of time.”
French President Emmanuel Macron
The French Minister of the Armed Forces who was also present in Abu Dhabi said: “As
announced by the President of the Republic, the Ministry of the Armed
Forces is launching the construction of the new-generation aircraft
carrier (PA-Ng). Future cornerstone of our armed forces, it will ensure
power projection from the high seas, with commissioning scheduled for
2038.”
A go / no go announcement to proceed to the production phase was
expected at the end of 2025. Thibault Lavernhe, the Marine Nationale’s
programme officer, whom Naval News interviewed during Combined Naval Event in May 2025 said at the time “2025 is a major milestone for the programme […] The Ministry of Defence will decide by the end of the year to launch the realisation of the programme.“
“Today, the ship is designed on paper. We know what we want from
the French Navy, it is now just a matter of a political decision to step
forward.” Capt. Lavernhe added at the time.
Intended to replace the French Navy’s current CVN Charles de Gaulle from
2038, the PA-Ng programme was approved to enter a two-phase design and
development activity back in December 2020. The Direction générale de
l’armement (DGA) and industrial prime contractor MO Porte-Avions (a
joint venture of Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique) have
subsequently undertaken preliminary design and system design activities
to mature the PA-Ng design ahead of approval for build; TechnicAtome is
separately responsible, under contract to the Commissariat à l’énergie
atomique, for the design and delivery of the nuclear plant (using two
K-22 pressurised water reactors).
Design and development activity completed over the past four years
has resulted in a 78,000-tonne displacement ship with an overall length
of 310 metres and a beam of approximately 90 metres. Sized around an
embarked air group comprising 30 combat aircraft, plus other fixed and
rotary-wing aircraft, key characteristics of the PA-Ng design includes
ship-wide electrification of power systems and equipment, a single
integrated island superstructure, a three-track Electromagnetic Aircraft
Launch System (EMALS), a three-wire Advanced Arrestor Gear (AAG)
recovery system, two hangars, and two deck-edge aircraft elevators (each
with a 40 tonne lift capacity) offset to starboard.
Ship size, and the configuration of the 17,200m2 flight deck, has been driven by the requirements of the embarked air group. According to Captain Thibault Lavernhe, the PA-Ngis
tailored for an air wing of 30 fighters or unmanned combat air vehicles
[UCAVs], three E-2D Hawkeyes and five to six helicopters. The French
Navy has already scoped a broad plan for the evolution of the PA-Ng air
wing, recognising that plans for a next generation of crewed and
uncrewed combat air capabilities are still developing. The expectation
is that the new carrier will enter service with the Rafale M at F5
standard, the E-2D Hawkeye, and unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). According
to Captain La Lavernhe, it is anticipated that a carrier-compatible UCAV
will augment the air group from around 2040.
Current plans envisage assembly of PA-Ng starting at Chantiers de
l’Atlantique in St Nazaire in 2032. The ship will then transfer to
Toulon in mid-2035 to finish outfitting work and be fuelled prior to
commencing sea trials in 2036.
Ahead of today’s green light to move forward with the build programme, the DGA in April 2024 placed orders worth
€600 million for the procurement of ‘critical path’ equipments and
structures from MO Porte-Avions and TechnicAtome. These long lead items
include reactor components, containment vessels and secondary steam
plant.
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