France will develop and build a new aircraft carrier to enter service in 2038 to replace the Charles de Gaulle now in service, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly announced Monday.
In a video speech marking the opening of the Euronaval online exhibition, Parly said “Regarding the new generation aircraft carrier, I can confirm that this program will be launched to give a successor to the Charles de Gaulle in 2038,” adding that “it will offer an operational framework that will be perfectly adapted, from the outset, to our future combat aircraft, known under the name of SCAF.”
Parly did not provide any additional details, notably on whether the new carrier will be conventionally or nuclear-powered, but proceeded to recap the major modernization of the French Navy that her government is completing. “Never in the past 30 years has the Navy seen such a renewal of its assets,” she noted.