France plans new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace Charles de Gaulle

France’s next-generation aircraft carrier will be nuclear-powered and replace the national fleet’s flagship warship, the Charles de Gaulle, in 2038, President Emmanuel Macron said.

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 US company General Atomics, French officials said.

The carrier will be 300 metres long and have a deadweight of 75,000 tonnes. 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.

The French military had initially lent towards a ship with conventional propulsion, but together with Macron later opted 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 during a visit to a nuclear sector components maker.

France is continental Europe’s only nuclear power. Britain is a nuclear power too, though its relationship with the European Union – from trade to security – once it leaves the EU’s orbit on January 1 remains uncertain.