Here's When The Charles De Gaulle Aircraft Carrier Is Going To Be Replaced

When it comes to nuclear aircraft carriers, America operates the bulk of them. But France is the only other country to have a nuclear-powered carrier at its disposal. While France's flagship carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, is nowhere near the age of America's oldest carrier still in service, it will get close before it's finally decommissioned. Navy vessels can last for decades before they need to be replaced by a more modern and up-to-date ship. Some countries will go as far as extending the life of existing ships, America included, when it's necessary.

France first launched the Charles de Gaulle in 1994 and commissioned it in 2000. Unlike American nuclear carriers that only need to refuel every couple of decades, the Charles de Gaulle returned to its home port for a refit and refueling in 2007. It received another overhaul and refit in 2017, and this one increased its lifespan to keep it in service until 2038.

The Charles de Gaulle is a fully capable carrier and kind of the shining gem of France's Navy. It crews around 1,200 sailors and carries 40 aircraft. France is working diligently to have another aircraft carrier ready to replace it by the time it's ready to retire.

When the Charles de Gaulle becomes obsolete, it will be replaced by a modernized nuclear aircraft carrier the French Defense Ministry is calling the PA-NG (porte-avion nouvelle-generation). It's only a working name as it's still in the design phase of the manufacturing process. There's still a lot up in the air about this carrier regarding its weapons and autonomous systems. It's expected to be 1,000 feet long and weigh 82,000 tons, which is nearly twice as heavy as the Charles de Gaulle. It will be a nuclear-powered carrier, like its predecessor and should have enough room to hold up to 32 aircraft, which is eight fewer than the Charles de Gaulle.

The design phase should be done by 2025. France's Naval Group and Chantiers de l'Atlantique should be ready to move onto the developmental phase by then, when they build the real deal. However, it wouldn't be surprising if development got pushed back to 2026. Once PANG's construction is complete, roughly a decade later, it will have to undergo sea trials before receiving a commission to serve in the French Navy.

Some members in France's Parliament questioned the reality of its Navy building a second aircraft carrier, but with the PANG project well underway, it seems their concerns were eased. If all goes according to plan, it should be ready to replace the Charles de Gaulle in 2038.

Among the 40 aircraft the Charles de Gaulle carries are the Rafale M fighter jet, the Super Etendard and the E-2C Hawkeye. The E-2C Hawkeye recently participated in NATO-led missions, flying into Romania from the Mediterranean as a means of deterrence. It's the first time the French carrier has been under NATO command. The planes launch from the ship's 640-foot long (195m) runway that sits atop the 850-foot long (261.5m) ship.

When it comes to defensive systems, the Charles de Gaulle is equipped with two surface anti-air missile (SAAM) systems that fire the Aster 15 surface-to-air missile and a combat management system that can track up to 2,000 targets. The SAAM system is used against enemy aircraft as well as a means to counter anti-ship missiles. On top of that, the carrier has eight 20mm guns that can fire 720 0.25kg rounds in a minute, making quick work of the couple thousand targets the system can track. Despite not much being known about France's PANG carrier yet, one could expect it to have a similar, if not better, armament than the Charles de Gaulle.