France confirms new carrier programme will proceed
Carrier to enter service in 2038 in multibillion-euro PANG project.
The PANG programme to build a new aircraft carrier for the French Navy was formally approved by President Emanuel Macron on 8 December.
Planned to enter service in 2038 as a replacement for Charles de Gaulle, the new nuclear-powered carrier is expected to cost more than €5 billion ($6.06 billion).
The vessel will be 300m long with a beam of 40m and displacement of 75,000t. It will accommodate 30 aircraft and a 2,000-strong crew.
Industry involvement in the PANG project comes from Chantiers de l’Atlantique, Dassault and Naval Group, whose chairman and CEO Pierre Eric Pommellet said: ‘This project will help develop jobs in the defence industrial and technological base and ensure the continuity of our skills in the current [COVID-19] health and economic crisis.’
Initial studies began in October 2018 on building a replacement for Charles de Gaulle but the green light from Macron was delayed this year by the COVID-19 crisis.
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