France Approves New Aircraft Carrier to Replace Charles de Gaulle

France will build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace the Charles de Gaulle, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday, reinforcing the country’s long-term naval capabilities and strategic autonomy.

Speaking to French troops during a visit to Abu Dhabi, Macron said the government had formally approved the programme this week and included it in the 2025 budget. The new vessel, known as the Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PANG), is scheduled to enter service around 2038, when the Charles de Gaulle is expected to be decommissioned after decades of service.

The carrier is projected to cost between €10 billion and €10.25 billion and will be significantly larger than its predecessor. With a displacement of roughly 78,000 tonnes and a length of about 310 metres, it will be the largest warship ever built in Europe. The vessel is expected to carry around 30 Rafale M fighter jets, along with helicopters, drones, and advanced command systems, and will accommodate approximately 2,000 crew members.

• France approves new nuclear aircraft carrier to replace Charles de Gaulle
• Macron backs €10 billion PANG carrier to strengthen France’s naval power
• New aircraft carrier to enter service by 2038 amid global security tensions

Macron linked the decision directly to the evolving global security environment. He cited Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising instability in several regions, and growing uncertainty in international defence arrangements as factors driving the need for sustained power projection and maritime presence. According to the president, maintaining an aircraft carrier capability is essential to France’s ability to act independently and to protect freedom of navigation.

The PANG will use nuclear propulsion, allowing it to operate for extended periods without refuelling and to support high-energy systems required for next-generation aircraft and electromagnetic catapults. While it will be smaller than the largest U.S. Navy carriers, it will place France among a small group of countries with a continuous, sovereign aircraft carrier capability.

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The programme is also expected to have domestic industrial impact. Macron said construction would involve hundreds of French companies, many of them small and medium-sized firms, supporting jobs and technical expertise over more than a decade. Despite concerns from some political groups over public spending, the government has confirmed it will proceed with the project as planned.