France to beat Britain's record for having Europe's biggest aircraft carrier

The future PA-NG aircraft carrier will become the largest warship ever built in Europe (Image: Getty)

Europe's largest ever nuclear aircraft carrier could soon be homed in France after a shipbuilder confirmed it expects to take an official order by the end of the year

French shipbuilder Naval Group has included the deal for the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG) - which means New Generation Aircraft Carrier - in its 2024 annual report.

PA-NG is a program launched by President Emmanuel Macron in December 2020, designed to deliver the largest warship ever built in Europe by 2038, replacing the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the sole carrier in the whole French Navy.

The vessel has been in service since 2001, so French authorities have been keeping their eyes open for a newer and more modern alternative.

Compared to its predecessor, the new carrier will have a displacement of 78,000 tonnes - a whole 32,500 more. Plus it will be 301m long and boast a 17,000sq m flight deck, and aviation facilities to hold more than 40 aircraft.

When compared to Europe's largest carrier at present, the UK's Queen Elizabeth Class, the PA-NG will dwarf it by 10,000 tonnes. Worldwide, it will only be beaten by China's Fujian carrier (80,000 tonnes) and the US's Gerald R Ford Class (101,000 tonnes).

The first steps of its construction were made on April 26, 2024 when Naval Group and TechnicAtome received notification from the Direction générale de l’Armement (DGA) and the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique (CEA) for the award of the first pre-decision-to-launch contract (pré-DLR), focusing on long-lead procurement for the nuclear boiler rooms.

This initiates actual construction work on the K22 nuclear reactors that will be used to power the ship, with production activity expected between 2024 and 2029.

The first steps have been made for France (Image: Getty)

The PA-NG is designed to maintain France's ability to conduct rapid and efficient missions involving deterrance, coercion or interventions. It will be equipped with two of the aforementioned nuclear reactors, while the onboard combat systems will include sensors, radars and defensive weaponary.

It wil be constructed in Saint-Nazaire by MO Porte-Avions, the joint venture of Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. TechnicAtome is responsible for reactor development, under the supervision of the DGA and CEA. Despite the scale of this warship, Saint-Nazaire is the only French shipyard with a dry dock large enough for the task.

Production of the $41.6m launch and recovery systems will be handled by an American manufacturer in San Diego, California to run through to January 2026. While other elements are to be handled in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and Tupelo, Mississippi - making the new carrier more modern, going away from the steam-powered catapults and hydraulic arresting gear used on Charles de Gaulle.

Construction of the hull isn't expected to begin until around 2031 or 2032 after which the carrier will be able to travel but only temporary diesel power to Toulon in 2035 for reactor fueling and sea trials starting in 2036.