Will French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle be extended beyond 2038?.

According to information published by Opex 360 on June 17, 2023, the French Senate requests a study on the continued service of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond 2038.
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French Navy's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. (Picture source: French MoD)

During the examination of the 2024-2028 Military Programming Law (LPM), members of parliament obtained from Sébastien Lecornu, the Minister of Armed Forces, the conduct of a study to determine the cost of constructing a second next-generation aircraft carrier (PANG). The idea is to provide the French Navy with increased flexibility for its air-naval operations if needed.

If a second PANG is financially unfeasible, it might be possible to extend, albeit for a limited time, the service of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. This hypothesis had already been put forward in a report published by the Senate in July 2020. 

Indeed, the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense adopted amendment COM-225, proposed by the Socialist, Ecologist, and Republican group, which requests the government "to submit to Parliament, within six months of the adoption of the law, a study on the cost and viability of keeping the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in service after 2040 in the Mediterranean basin."

Why only in the Mediterranean? Because "the number of Russian and Turkish warships has considerably increased there, particularly due to the war in Ukraine and instability in Libya," while France also needs to defend its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.

As Senator Gilbert Roger explained during the session on June 14, it would be desirable for a "report to establish whether or not we are truly capable of keeping the Charles de Gaulle" because "if we abandon the Mediterranean to position ourselves in the Indo-Pacific, the Turks, Russians, or Chinese will take our place."

Furthermore, although the parliamentarian did not mention it, it would mean placing France's security in the hands of the United States since they regularly deploy an aircraft carrier group in the Mediterranean, as is currently the case with the USS Gerald Ford.

About the PANG

Construction of this flagship is slated to commence around 2025, with her entry into service projected for 2038, the same year the current aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, is expected to retire.

Featuring a state-of-the-art Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) catapult system, the PA-NG will be powered by nuclear energy. The new carrier will displace 75,000 tonnes when fully loaded, stretch to an overall length of 310 meters (1,020 feet), and have an overall beam of 85 meters (279 feet) and a waterline beam of 39 meters (128 feet).

She will be powered by two K22 pressurised water reactors (PWR), each with a power output of 220 MW (300,000 hp). This new flagship is designed for a maximum speed of 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) and can travel an unlimited distance without refueling.

With a crew complement of around 2,000, the PA-NG will house various aircraft, including the Rafale M, the Future Combat Air System, the E-2D Hawkeye, the NH90 Caïman, and a variety of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).