In September, General Atomics announced that it had received a contract from the US Navy to continue its development and evaluation of its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting gear.
It is the latest development in France's ambition to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Charles de Gaulle will be replaced by a new ship. The prestige of operating a "supercarrier" will be granted to the French navy by PANG's larger size.
In 2001, Charles de Gaulle replaced France's two Clemenceau-class carriers, which were retired in 1997 and 2000. och was sold to Brazil and was in that country for a while.
The French navy is led by Charles de Gaulle. It is 858 feet long and displaces tens of thousands of tons. There is a crew of 1,350 and an air wing of 650. 800 troops can be embarked on by it.
The only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the world is this one. It has a top speed of 27 knots and a range limited by its crew's endurance.
The only non-US carrier to use catapults is it.
The catapults are used on the US Navy's carrier ships. The chief of staff of the French navy said in July that an American officer was on the aircraft carrier.
Vandier told Naval News that American equipment would be used for the future aircraft carrier.
The air wing of De Gaulle can hold up to 40 aircraft, but it usually consists of 30 Rafale M fighters, two E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft, and a combination of NH90, AS565 Panther, and AS365 Dauphin helicopters.
In addition to its air wing, Charles de Gaulle has four eight-cell Sylver VLS launchers that can fire surface-to-air missiles and two six-cell Sadral launchers that can shoot Mistral anti-air missiles.
During the first combat deployment, Charles de Gaulle flew 700 sorties against Taliban targets. The no-fly zone was enforced by the carrier.
In 2015, Charles de Gaulle launched airstrikes against targets in Iraq from the Persian Gulf in support of the liberation of Iraq's second largest city of Mosul. It helped reinforce NATO's presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.
France has always operated two carriers at the same time. Plans for a carrier modeled on the British navy's Queen Elizabeth class were canceled.
A new effort to replace Charles de Gaulle was underway in France. The program was unveiled in December 2020.
Charles de Gaulle will be upgraded by the PANG. It is expected to displace 74,000 tons, putting it on par with the other active "supercarriers."
The PANG will be similar to its predecessor in that it will be nuclear-powered and capable of generating 220megawatts of power. Each K15 is capable of generating 150megawatts. The navy will be able to project power abroad, thanks to the reactor.
The PANG's air wing is expected to be larger than Charles de Gaulle's and will include at least 32 fighters.
The naval variant of the New Generation Fighter is being developed by France, Germany, and Spain and is expected to be included in the air wing. The PANG air wing will eventually be made up of NGFs.
The US Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class carriers use the same systems as the PANG. It is possible to launch a fixed-wing aircraft at a much faster rate with the use of linear induction motors.
The system has been a problem for the Navy, but recent changes have made it more reliable. The Navy said in July that they had conducted 10,000 aircraft launches.
The construction of the PANG is expected to begin in the year 2025. The year Charles de Gaulle is expected to leave service is 2038, when the first sea trials are expected to take place.
The PANG will become the French navy's flagship once it is commissioned. It is expected to be in use until 2080.
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