French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France’s PANG next generation aircraft carrier programme will proceed to the realization phase. This major milestone confirms that the French Navy’s current CVN Charles de Gaulle will be replaced from 2038.
The French Minister of the Armed Forces also said: “As announced by the President of the Republic, the Ministry of the Armed Forces is launching the construction of the new-generation aircraft carrier (PANG). Future cornerstone of our armed forces, it will ensure power projection from the high seas, with commissioning scheduled for 2038.”
The announcement underscores France’s commitment to strategic autonomy, particularly as Europe seeks greater defence independence amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and uncertainties over U.S. support under the incoming Trump administration.
The cost of the new aircraft carrier is estimated at 10 billion euro. The timing coincides with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s intense negotiations to secure a 2026 budget. Lawmakers recently failed to reach agreement, prompting the government to prepare a stopgap law rolling over the 2025 budget into the new year. Lecornu has expressed regret over the impasse, pledging to meet party leaders to find a path forward.
Despite these fiscal strains, the PA-NG is framed as a long-term investment in national security and economic growth, involving hundreds of suppliers – mostly small and medium-sized enterprises.
The PA-NG will replace the aging Charles de Gaulle, France’s sole aircraft carrier, which entered service in 2001 and is slated for retirement around 2038. Displacing around 75,000-78,000 tons – nearly double its predecessor – the new vessel will be Europe’s largest warship ever built, measuring about 310 meters long and 85 meters wide. It will accommodate up to 30 next-generation fighters (including Rafale M variants and future unmanned combat vehicles), three E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, helicopters, and a crew of 2,000.
The timeline is ambitious but extended: Work on nuclear propulsion components began last year, with the final production contract expected in 2026. Hull construction is projected to start around 2031, followed by assembly and outfitting through the mid-2030s. Delivery and commissioning are targeted for 2038, aligning with the Charles de Gaulle’s decommissioning. The program, estimated at around €10-10.25 billion, draws from multi-year military programming laws, with over €7 billion already earmarked.
Experts view the project as vital for France’s nuclear deterrent and power projection. “This new aircraft carrier will be a testament to our nation’s power, a power of industry and technology,” Macron stated. Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed the 2038 operational target, noting its advanced features like electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS) purchased from the U.S. for efficiency and compatibility.
Some analysts highlight the geopolitical imperative. Amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East – evident from Macron’s announcement near the Strait of Hormuz – the carrier reinforces France’s global reach.
However, some lawmakers from the centre and the left have questioned prioritizing such expenditures amid fiscal woes, though no major delays are anticipated.
Reactions have been largely positive within defence circles. “PANG will happen,” one expert asserted, citing broad political consensus on nuclear doctrine and carrier capabilities. The project is seen as a boost to French industry, supporting thousands of jobs and technological advancements.
France stands as the European Union’s sole nuclear-armed power, inheriting and modernizing a strategic deterrent force that provides a unique layer of security autonomy for the continent amid rising global threats. With the world’s second-largest exclusive economic zone – spanning over 11 million square kilometres across its overseas territories – France asserts extensive maritime interests and power projection capabilities, ambitions now reinforced by plans to significantly bolster its armed forces at a pivotal moment of geopolitical uncertainty, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and shifting transatlantic dynamics.