France is set to build a brand new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The vessel is expected to be the first in a new line of future warships that falls in line with the country's zero-emission climate strategy.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the plans on Tuesday during his visit to one of the country's nuclear facilities in the Burgundy town of Le Creusot. Macron said that the country will c
France will build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. It will be the first in a line of warships with zero emissions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the country will continue to pursue further development and innovation in its nuclear weapons and atomic energy industry.
Macron called the industry the "cornerstone" of France's "strategic autonomy" and vital to the country's "status as a great power." One of Macron's officials said the building of an aircraft carrier should help boost France's global influence.
The new carrier will replace France's Charles de Gaulle diesel-powered carrier. The new vessel is expected to be ready for service by 2038.
The carrier will be 300 meters long and is estimated to weigh in at about 70,000 tons. It will roughly be 1.5 times the size of the Charles de Gaulle.
It will be equipped with advanced weaponry and technologies, including an electromagnetic catapult that will be supplied by U.S. manufacturers.
Officials didn't disclose the price but experts estimate the cost could be somewhere around $8.5 billion.
France is also expected to spend more than $600 million on the nuclear industry. It will modernize existing facilities. Nuclear power provides much of France's electricity needs but plants are ageing.
Macron said that France would do more to develop other sources of renewable energies such as wind, solar and hydrogen.
ontinue to pursue further development and innovation in its nuclear weapons and atomic energy industry.
Macron called the industry the "cornerstone" of France's "strategic autonomy" and vital to the country's "status as a great power." One of Macron's officials said during a ceremony at the nuclear facility that the building of a new nuclear aircraft carrier should help boost France's global influence.
The new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is set to replace France's Charles de Gaulle diesel-powered carrier. The new vessel is expected to be completed and ready for service by 2038.
The French carrier will be 300 meters long and is estimated to weigh in at about 70,000 tons. It will roughly be 1.5 times the size of the Charles de Gaulle. When it is launched, the ship will take over the Charles de Gaulle's duties, which include international military operations.
The ship will be equipped with advanced weaponry and technologies, including an electromagnetic catapult that will be supplied by U.S. manufacturers. France expects to have the ship in active services until at least 2080. It will be built to accommodate next-generation warplanes, which can be dispatched at a moment's notice.
Officials didn't disclose an exact price tag for the vessel, but experts estimate that the construction costs could be somewhere around $8.5 billion. France is one of only a handful of countries that maintains aircraft carriers as part of their naval fleet. The vessel is notoriously expensive to build and operate.
Apart from the aircraft carrier, France is also expected to invest more than $600 million in the country's nuclear industry. A separate fund will also reportedly be established to modernize existing facilities. Nuclear power provides much of France's electricity needs but a number of plants have started to age, with most needing major renovations.
Macron said that France is also planning to do more to develop other sources of renewable energies such as wind, solar, and hydrogen.
