By 2038, France will have a new nuclear aircraft carrier

The first attempts at sea of a new ship to build a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire are scheduled to take place in 2036. The aircraft carrier is to have a displacement of about 70,000 tonnes and a length of 300 m.

On the unit they will be able to station much heavier aircraft than multi-tasking Rafale fighters currently taking off from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. They are to be new generation machines, referred to as SCAF, cooperating with drones of different types. The SCAF project is developed in cooperation with Germany and Spain. The design of the aircraft is described as being "essential for European sovereignty".

The aircraft carriers are considered to be a tool for the projection of military force – reminds the AFP agency. The Charles de Gaulle ship currently operated by France has been used in recent years, among others, during operations in Iraq and Syria. In the summer of this year, he was directed to the east of the Mediterranean, in order to demonstrate his support for Greece in the conflict with Turkey about its shell exploration and oil drilling at sea," writes the agency.

President Macron presented plans for a new aircraft carrier presenting France's climate strategy. The head of state stressed that nuclear propulsion is more ecological than traditional diesel engines.

It is not specified how much the new ship will cost, but the French media speculate that it can reach around EUR 7 billion. In addition to France, which currently has one ship of this type, only the US has a fleet of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. Several other countries operate traditional aircraft carriers.

The obvious contractor of the aircraft carrier is the French shipbuilding company Naval Group, the only one in France as well as one of the few in Europe with the capacity to build such large and complex ships.

Source: PAP/MD