French media: The Time of the Predators, France Builds a Larger Aircraft Carrier

President Macron chose the opportunity of his visit to Saudi Arabia to announce the construction of a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which will replace the current Charles de Gaulle in 2038.

The decision to build a new aircraft carrier was made a few days ago. Why was it announced in Saudi Arabia? Because France and Saudi Arabia have always had close cooperation in the defense industry. Moreover, Saudi Arabia is the largest customer of Dassault Aviation, with a large number of Rafale fighters equipped. In addition, France is considering including Saudi Arabia in the development plan for the future European fighter jet. This future fighter jet development costs are estimated at 100 billion euros, originally intended to be jointly developed by France, Germany, and Spain, but due to Dassault Group's demand for higher autonomy, there has been disputes. If Germany withdraws, France may likely develop the new fighter jet together with Saudi Arabia. Thus, the new aircraft carrier will be equipped with the future fighter jet and Rafale fighters with F5 standards, forming the future "pillar of the sea and sky".

France's starting point is that the situation is severe, and we must be prepared. Macron expressed this in Saudi Arabia: "It is the time of the predators, we must be strong to make people fear, especially on the sea, we must be particularly strong."

Who are the predators? First and foremost, it should be Russia, which has been causing trouble at Europe's doorstep. Not only Russia, but Macron did not explicitly mention others.

France has long realized the necessity of European defense independence. During the era of Chirac, the idea of establishing a strong European defense was proposed, but it was not responded to. In recent years, Macron has continuously called for it. Even under the severe context of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, establishing an independent European defense remains difficult.

The future of European defense is uncertain, and France is preparing in advance. This is the core of Macron's statement that "predators are rampant," and it also serves as public opinion preparation for France to increase investment in defense.

People who have lived in peace, wealth, and prosperity for eight decades after the war have never-ending consumer desires. It is easy for opponents to exploit the idea of spending money to prepare for war. However, Putin's ambition to annex Ukraine has finally ruined the peaceful atmosphere in Europe, and the number of people who believe that war will happen is increasing day by day. General Fabien Martin, Chief of the French Armed Forces, even raised the risk of conflict with Russia in three or four years. The French military's voluntary conscription system of 10 months starting next year has emerged accordingly. Building a larger aircraft carrier seems natural.

Despite the current budget deadlock in the French government, the project has officially started. The Elysée said that this launch will allow all contracts needed for the project implementation to be signed. Macron emphasized that he would "guarantee the commitment" to 800 project suppliers and clearly stated that he would visit the construction site in February 2026.

Macron said, "This new aircraft carrier will demonstrate France's strength - industrial strength, technical strength, and the power to serve maritime freedom and the tides of the times."

What kind of aircraft carrier will it be? According to known information, the new aircraft carrier will still be equipped with a nuclear propulsion system. Currently, only the United States and France have nuclear propulsion systems. This system can not only ensure the aircraft carrier's long-term navigation at sea without fuel replenishment, but also provide energy for all equipment on the ship, including the catapult used for launching Rafale fighters.

The tonnage of the new aircraft carrier will far exceed the "Charles de Gaulle", with a displacement of 80,000 tons, while the Charles de Gaulle is only 42,000 tons. The new aircraft carrier is 310 meters long and 85 meters wide, compared to the Charles de Gaulle's length of 261.5 meters and width of 64.3 meters. It can accommodate 2,000 sailors, and is equipped with a "carrier air wing" consisting of 40 fighter jets, including Rafale fighters with F5 standards, the newly developed next-generation fighter (NGF), E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft, NH90 helicopters, as well as maintenance facilities, living areas, protective systems (air defense missile systems, machine guns, cannons), etc.

A major change in the new aircraft carrier is that it will use electromagnetic catapults instead of the existing steam catapults. The main advantage of the electromagnetic catapult system is that it occupies less space and can more precisely adjust the catapult power of the fighter jets – the fighter jets can accelerate from rest to 250 kilometers per hour within 75 meters (equivalent to the takeoff deck length of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier).

The new aircraft carrier will also be equipped with drones, whose combat use is increasingly popular in the French Navy's operations. The "accompanying drone" of the NGF, as well as a new type of drone derived from the Rafale fighter, have already been included in the equipment list for the future carrier-based aviation forces.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1852165346497803/

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