France’s flagship FS Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier has a long, storied history filled with setbacks, damages, and, by contrast, a series of success stories and effective deployments.
Charles De Gaulle: A Mixed Track Record for this Aircraft Carrier
The carrier, which entered service in 2001, years after being launched in 1994, blasted onto the scene attacking the Taliban in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and has since conducted numerous deployments, including maritime warfare operations in conflicts with Libya and ISIS.
Along with many successful deployments, the Charles De Gaulle has also been plagued with setbacks such as excessive radioactivity, COVID outbreaks, and broken propellers … and the overall construction of the ship has been criticized for being poor quality.
Charles De Gaulle Aircraft Carrier: French – US Naval Cooperation
The ship was engineered to operate with many US Navy platforms such as the F/A-18 and E-2D Hawkeye surveillance plane, something which significantly contributes to critical interoperability and the potential for joint US-French operations.
The French Rafale fighter aircraft also operated successfully on US carriers.
The Charles De Gaulle also launches a carrier variant of the French-built Rafale fighter, a 4.5-gen fighter aircraft in service with as many as nine countries.
With high speeds of Mach 1.8, the Rafale is considered a multi-role fighter with air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ground attack weapons.
The aircraft now operates with Active Electronically Scanned Array radar and InfraRed Search and Track targeting similar to what is on the US Navy’s F/A-18.
The De Gaulle can reportedly carry and launch as many as 40 Rafale fighters.
“The Charles De Gaulle is a 38,000 ton, nuclear powered French aircraft carrier launched in May 1994. The ship operates a fleet of 40 Rafale M combat aircraft, the Super Etendard and three E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. The ship also supports the AS 565 Panther and Dauphin helicopters. There are two lifts, measuring 19 x 13 m, which have a load capacity of 36 tons. The hangar has a floor area of 140 x 30 metres and a height 6.1 metres,” an essay by GlobalSecurity.org says.
Early Retirement?
Given its mixed record, it appears France plans to retire the Charles De Gaulle by as soon as the late 2030s, yet its existence has inspired the development of the PANG, France’s second nuclear-powered carrier expected to emerge in 2038.
A life span of roughly 35-to-40 years for the Charles De Gaulle would seem rather short, given that US Navy Nimitz-class carriers serve as long as 50 years with one mid-life refueling.
It may be that sustainment and maintenance costs make it more cost-effective to retire.
At the same time, the ship does have a record of success and it seems conceivable that it could extend beyond into the 2040s and 2050s, something which would allow France to operate multiple nuclear-powered carriers.
Should sustainment and modernization efforts be possible with the Charles De Gaulle, it would seem to make sense for France to operate as many carriers as possible.
A Dangerous World Means a Saved Aircraft Carrier?
The threat equation in Europe is much different now than it was years ago, given Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. A second carrier could operate in the Baltic Sea and potentially project power over Russian territory if needed.
With two carriers, the French could support US Navy deterrence operations in other key regions such as the Pacific or Mediterranean.
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (April 24, 2019) A U.S. Marine MV-22 Osprey assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit sits on the flight deck of France’s Marine Nationale aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R 91). This was the second time that Ospreys have landed aboard the French vessel. Marines and Sailors assigned to the 22nd MEU and Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group are currently deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Joshua Smith/Released)
Despite the promise of potential success, the service life of Charles De Gaulle, in an overall sense, has been characterized by ongoing contradictions.
The ship was successfully upgraded in 2008 with massively increased satellite communications, advanced Rafale F3 fighter variants, nuclear missiles, and famous SCALP EG stealthy Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
However, only two years after the upgrades, the French carrier experienced an electrical fault in its propulsion system.
About the Author: Kris Osborn
Kris Osborn is the Military Technology Editor of 19FortyFive and President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
