Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the 21st that France will build a new aircraft carrier to replace the currently serving Charles de Gaulle.
Macron confirmed this during a speech to the French military in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. He stated that, based on a thorough and comprehensive review of two recent military spending bills, he decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier. He revealed that the final approval for the construction of the carrier was made in the past few days.
According to French television station BFM, the new carrier will be nuclear-powered, allowing it to operate at sea for extended periods without refueling and ensuring the energy supply for its critical equipment. The report stated that the new carrier will be approximately 310 meters long and have a displacement of 78,000 tons. It is expected to be equipped with 2,000 soldiers and related personnel, and approximately 40 carrier-based aircraft, including Rafale fighter jets, E-2C airborne early warning aircraft, and NH90 helicopters.
Macron stated that the new aircraft carrier will symbolize French national power and embody French industrial and technological capabilities. He revealed that he will visit the Atlantic Shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, a city in western France, next February to inspect the construction progress of the new carrier. Atlantic Shipyard is considered the only shipyard in France capable of building ships of such large tonnage.
Macron also said that the new aircraft carrier construction project will help boost the French economy, benefiting 800 suppliers, about 80% of whom are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2001, is approximately 261 meters long and displaces 42,000 tons. It is expected to be decommissioned in 2038. The new aircraft carrier is planned to be put into service before the Charles de Gaulle's decommissioning. (End)
