ABU DHABI (Realist English). French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that France will proceed with the construction of a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, marking a major expansion of the country’s naval capabilities even as public finances remain under strain.
Speaking to French troops during a visit to Abu Dhabi, Macron said the decision to launch the project was taken this week, arguing that maritime power is central to France’s security in an increasingly contested world. “In an age of predators, we must be strong in order to be feared — and especially strong at sea,” he said.
The vessel, known as the Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG), is scheduled to enter service in 2038 and will replace France’s current flagship, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been in operation since 2001. With a displacement of about 78,000 tonnes and a length of 310 metres, the PA-NG will be the largest warship ever built in Europe, nearly doubling the size of its predecessor.
Like the Charles de Gaulle, the new carrier will be nuclear-powered and designed to operate Rafale M fighter jets. It will feature two or three electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS), enabling faster and more flexible aircraft operations. Although smaller than the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, the PA-NG will significantly enhance France’s long-range power-projection capabilities.
The programme is expected to cost just over €10 billion. Work on nuclear propulsion components began last year, with the final order due to be included in the 2025 budget. Macron said the project would involve around 800 suppliers, roughly 80% of them small and medium-sized enterprises, and pledged personal oversight of the industrial effort.
Defence officials say the carrier will be capable of rapid deployment for sustained, high-intensity operations. The announcement comes as Macron has committed to boosting defence spending, with an additional €6.5 billion allocated over the next two years and total military expenditure set to reach €64 billion by 2027 — double the level when he took office in 2017.
Some lawmakers from the centre and moderate left have questioned the timing of the project given France’s strained finances. Macron has dismissed calls for delay, insisting that strategic autonomy and credible deterrence require long-term investment.
France remains the European Union’s only nuclear power and the only European country operating a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The PA-NG is intended to ensure continuity after the eventual retirement of the Charles de Gaulle, which has played a central role in NATO and French operations from Afghanistan to campaigns against Islamic State, despite repeated technical issues during its service life.