France's next generation new aircraft carrier diagram. (Photo: MO Porte Avions/ Naval Group/ Chantiers de l'Atlantique)
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has been deployed, and the Chinese Type 003 aircraft carrier "Fujian" has also launched mooring tests, and it is rumored to be building the fourth aircraft carrier. The French Ministry of Defense and industry leaders showed the model of the next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (PA-NG) for the first time in the biennial "Euronaval 2022".
According to Defense News and The Drive, Paris-backed Naval Group and Chantiers de l'Atlantique will work together to build a new aircraft carrier under the name of the joint venture MO Porte Avions. The one responsible for providing two nuclear reactors, , to drive the new aircraft carrier is Technic Atome.
This new ship is expected to replace the only aircraft carrier "FNS Charles de Gaulle" (R91), under the French Navy , by 2038. Its weight will exceed 82,000 tons, exceed 1,000 feet (nearly 305 meters) in length and 279 feet (about 85 meters) wide, far more than 42,000 tons and less than 900 feet (about 274 meters) in length.
project director Saint Julien said the preliminary research was launched in 2018. In 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron decided that the new aircraft carrier would use nuclear power, and the preliminary design phase began in March 2021 and is now scheduled to be completed in March 2023.
The models shown in the Defense Exhibition represent the team's current design, but as time goes by, they will keep pace with the times. In addition, although many details such as weapons and defense systems have not yet been finalized, the new aircraft carrier is expected to carry about 30 carrier-based aircraft, as well as some drones. After the final design is finalized in 2025, the new aircraft carrier will be built at the Atlantic shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, the west coast of France. According to the French Ministry of Defense, all parts of the hull will be transported to Toulon (Toulon) for assembly. As for the sea trial, it is scheduled to start in 2036 and is expected to be delivered to the French Navy in 2037, and will be effective when the USS Charles de Gaulle is retired in 2038.
Saint Julian said that French MPs had previously considered the possibility of building a second aircraft carrier and asked for industry evaluation, but there is no conclusion yet. He said that if the French industry is required, the French industry will indeed have the ability to build a second aircraft carrier.
new aircraft carrier has a "ejection takeoff/interception cable recovery" (CATOBAR) design, bevel flight deck , and a relatively small but with a rear-mounted ship island building with an active electronic scanning array (AESA) radar antenna. Analysts say that in fact, in some ways, it looks like the cousin of the US Navy's 100,000-ton Ford-class new aircraft carrier.
From the existing model, it is different from the design proposed in 2020. The most prominent of these are the ship island, the flight deck and outboard platforms on both sides. Among them, the island has changed from an oval to a box that tends to be square, and the four "SeaFire" radar panels that were originally seen in the 2020 design are still there, but the "conical" top of the island has been replaced by the conspicuous satellite communication round shield.
In addition, a new helicopter take-off and landing point is added behind the ship island, and a carrier-based aircraft maintenance area is also added. Overall, the shape of the flight deck has also been slightly adjusted. It is said that this is to install the third electromagnetic catapult system (EMALS). As for personnel configuration, the entire ship has about 2,000 personnel.
