France’s next-generation aircraft carrier program, initiated in 2020 and known as the PA-NG, looks to replace France’s current carrier, the Charles de Gaulle.
France’s next aircraft carrier is set to become the largest and most advanced ever produced by a European nation. Initiated in 2020, the next-generation aircraft carrier program looks to replace France’s current aircraft carrier, the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, which is expected to retire after almost four decades at sea in 2038. Dubbed PA-NG, which stands for Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération, or New Generation Aircraft Carrier, the carrier will be a major upgrade over its predecessor. Not only will it be twice as large, but it will also incorporate state-of-the-art aircraft launchers and onboard combat systems.
Perhaps the greatest upgrade will be the carrier’s new nuclear propulsion system. Powered by two K-22 nuclear reactors, the PA-NG will become the only non-American nuclear aircraft carrier roaming the seas. That is, unless China can develop its first nuclear carrier before Paris’s €10 billion+ project can get off the ground. Domestically, France’s carrier program has been controversial, with critics wondering whether modern weapons and the rise of tanker aircraft have rendered large aircraft carriers obsolete.
However, the carrier’s propulsion system could help alleviate some of these concerns, as fielding a nuclear aircraft carrier will give France a distinct advantage over its naval rivals. The necessity of expanding France’s carrier fleet was quickly underscored when Italy and Spain announced plans to explore adding aircraft carriers. Upgrading Europe’s Navy will likely become more urgent as the EU contends with an increasingly geopolitically aggressive Russia and China.
