The France Libre: Inside the 80,000-Ton Aircraft Carrier Future of the French Navy
Along with the United States, France is the only nation to possess a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Indeed, it would be no exaggeration to say the supercarrier Charles de Gaulle —named for the general who courageously led Free France’s government-in-exile during World War II and then served as President of France from 1959 to 1969—is the pride of La Marine Nationale (the French Navy).
The de Gaulle is starting to get a bit long in the tooth (though it is not as old as the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class carriers); it was launched in May 1994 and commissioned in May 2001. Accordingly, the French Navy is eying what it calls the New Generation Aircraft Carrier (Porte-avions de nouvelle génération, or PANG).
The name of the future carrier will also render homage to General de Gaulle’s legacy; France Libre (“Free France”).
“What’s In a Name?” (Qu’y a-t-il dans un nom ?)
PANG Aircraft Carrier from France. Image Credit: Industry Handout.
To answer Juliet Capulet’s Shakespearean question, Xavier Vavasseur of Naval News quotes French President Emmanuel Macron:
“I wished to place our future aircraft carrier in the lineage of General de Gaulle. His life, his destiny, and the choices made as early as June 1940, following the collapse—these speak to a certain idea of France. For him, and for us. The French spirit. It is a spirit of resistance. It is a will that nothing can stop. … A will to resist in order to remain free. An irreducible, invincible will on national territory or elsewhere in the face of occupation. A will which, like our aircraft carrier, can take to the seas if necessary until victory is achieved. The will to remain free—yes, that is it. The great project that is ours. The one that binds us.’”
It’s fitting that Macron made the remarks, not just because he’s France’s head of state, but also by virtue of his December 2025 decision to greenlight the warship’s realization phase.
France Libre Projected Tech Specs and Vital Stats
PANG Aircraft Carrier from France. Image Credit: French Navy.
—Displacement: 80,000 tons (by contrast, her predecessor displaces a mere 42,000 tons)
—Hull Length: 310 meters
—Beam Width: 80 meters
—Propulsion: TechnicAtome K-22 pressurized water reactors
—Max Speed: 27 knots
—Range and Endurance: Virtually unlimited
Crew Complement (including air wing): 2,000 commissioned officers and enlisted seamen.
Another special feature of the new carrier—and a testament to Franco-American cooperation—will be its adoption of the U.S.-origin electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and advanced arresting gear, supplied by General Atomics under a foreign military sales agreement.
The EMALS is already proving its worth on the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78).
USS Gerald R. Ford. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Allons! The Way Forward for France Libre
The vessel is expected to be laid down in 2032, launched for sea trials in 2036, and commissioned in 2038.
Vive Le France, Vive La Libertié!
About the Author: Christian D. Orr
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (with a concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
