President Macron Allows France to Build New Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carriers

French President Emmanuel Macron. (Wikimedia Commons/IAEA Imagebank)

JAKARTA - President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that he had officially authorized the construction of a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to replace France's flagship aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle (R91).

The ship, the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the US Navy, entered service in 2001 after more than a decade of construction.

"In accordance with the last two military programming laws, and after a thorough and comprehensive review, I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier," President Macron said, speaking during a visit to French forces in the United Arab Emirates, launching Daily Sabah from AFP (22/12).

The decision to grant final approval was made this week, he added.

"In the era of predators, we must be strong so that we are feared," said President Macron.

France first launched a study to replace Charles de Gaulle in 2018, with preliminary work starting two years later.

The announcement of the official start of construction was made amid a budget impasse that has hit the second largest economy in the European Union.

Criticism in France, including from the military chief General Fabien Mandon, has focused on whether other more urgent areas should be prioritized amid concerns of a European war with Russia.

This official launch will allow the signing of all the necessary contracts for the project, Macron's office said.

This new aircraft carrier, which is also nuclear-powered, will be much larger than current aircraft carriers. The ship will weigh almost 80,000 tons and be about 310 meters long, compared to 42,000 tons and 261 meters for Charles de Gaulle.

With a crew of 2,000 people, the new ship is expected to be able to accommodate 30 fighter jets.

Although the future ships will still seem small compared to the US Navy's 11 super-large aircraft carriers, each weighing more than 100,000 tons, only China and the Royal Navy currently operate aircraft carriers of a similar size, all of which are conventionally powered.