Future French aircraft carrier
Encyclopedia
PA2 (from Porte-Avions 2 - "aircraft carrier 2") is a planned new aircraft carrier
developed for the French Navy
by Thales Naval France
and DCNS from the Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class.
France's 2008 military budget included ordering a second aircraft carrier. However, in April 2008 French Defence Minister Herve Morin cast doubt over plans for a second aircraft carrier, citing a cash crunch and the fact that rising oil prices put the question of the propulsion back on the table, and said a decision would be taken soon. Further doubts were cast on the project on 21 June 2008 when French President Nicolas Sarkozy
decided to suspend co-operation with Britain on the aircraft carrier. Sarkozy stated that a final decision on France building a second carrier would be taken in 2011 or 2012 but, now there are doubts over whether the aircraft carrier will be built. British plans for two aircraft carriers went ahead as planned despite the French withdrawal, as the original project had in any case been a British one and not dependent on French involvement. On 3 February 2009, the French government ordered studies about another architecture and design raising even more doubt on the likelihood of the French Navy using the current British design. The option of nuclear propulsion is back on the table and would require a completely different approach. The option of Azimuth thruster
, as used on the Mistral-class ships, is also being considered.
and Foch
, were completed in 1961 and 1963 respectively. The requirement for a replacement was identified in the mid-1970s, which became the 40,600-tonne nuclear powered Charles de Gaulle, laid down in April 1989 at the DCNS Brest
naval shipyard. This carrier was completed in May 1994, but not officially commissioned until 2001 due to a large number of problems. These included the need to lengthen the flight deck after aircraft trials, a broken propeller and vibration and noise problems. The French Navy was understood to be unwilling to proceed with another carrier of the same design and by 2003 the possibility of sharing the Royal Navy
design emerged to fulfil the French requirement for a second carrier.
The requirement for the carriers was confirmed by Jacques Chirac
in 2004 for the centennial of the Entente Cordiale
and on 26 January 2006 the defence ministers of France and Britain reached an agreement regarding cooperation on the design of their future carriers. France agreed to pay the UK for access to the design due to the investment made to date. These payments were £30m in January 2006, £25m in July 2006 and a further £45m if France decides to proceed with the project.
The FY2008 French defence budget included the necessary funding (€3b) for the ship. However the carrier has not yet been ordered and a different design may be chosen because of disagreements over the propulsion. The global financial crisis of August 2011 increased the odds that this aircraft carrier may be discontinued.
and DCNS from their proposed design: a 283 m long, 75,000 tonnes variant of the CVF. While the UK in-service dates of 2014 and 2016 for their two carriers have been announced, the construction timetable for the French ship has not been disclosed. Charles de Gaulle will require refit and refuelling of her nuclear reactors around 2015.
The UK had originally chosen to continue to use STOVL
aircraft for its new carrier; however, the choice of an adaptable design which could be reconfigured for future CATOBAR
operation. this would have meant that the design meets the French Navy requirements. However, in October 2010, the UK decided to order the CATOBAR configuration the carriers. The French version is designed to operate the Dassault Rafale
, the E-2C Hawkeye and the NH-90. It is a CATOBAR
design, using catapult of the same models as those installed on the Nimitz-class
supercarrier
s: C13-2 steam catapults, 90m long. The vessels are expected to be capable of carrying over 32 Rafales, three Hawkeyes and five NH-90s support/anti-submarine helicopters. The crew will be about 1650, instead of 1950 in the Charles de Gaulle, indicating the high level of automation integrated into the ship's systems.
), while air operations are made easier with a bridge placed aft (as seen on the US Nimitz class
).
's requirements, nuclear propulsion was not an option: the British government rejected nuclear propulsion as too costly. The idea of renouncing nuclear propulsion
in this way has been alleged to be a backward step for French technology, but the operational and political gains from a common design apparently outweighed the downsides of conventional propulsion.
The carrier's propulsion system, in its current form, is expected to be integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) based on two Rolls-Royce MT30
gas turbine
s. The optimum location for the position of the main propulsion system is being examined to maximise the hangar space below the decks. The expected range of the carrier will be 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km).
at Saint Nazaire, and fitting out will be by DCN at Brest
. The ship is likely to be based at Toulon naval base
where two huge dry docks are available to accommodate even a Nimitz-class
aircraft carrier.
, which was the name originally intended for the Charles de Gaulle
However, the name of the ship has not been decided yet.
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
developed for the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
by Thales Naval France
Thales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
and DCNS from the Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class.
France's 2008 military budget included ordering a second aircraft carrier. However, in April 2008 French Defence Minister Herve Morin cast doubt over plans for a second aircraft carrier, citing a cash crunch and the fact that rising oil prices put the question of the propulsion back on the table, and said a decision would be taken soon. Further doubts were cast on the project on 21 June 2008 when French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
decided to suspend co-operation with Britain on the aircraft carrier. Sarkozy stated that a final decision on France building a second carrier would be taken in 2011 or 2012 but, now there are doubts over whether the aircraft carrier will be built. British plans for two aircraft carriers went ahead as planned despite the French withdrawal, as the original project had in any case been a British one and not dependent on French involvement. On 3 February 2009, the French government ordered studies about another architecture and design raising even more doubt on the likelihood of the French Navy using the current British design. The option of nuclear propulsion is back on the table and would require a completely different approach. The option of Azimuth thruster
Azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary...
, as used on the Mistral-class ships, is also being considered.
Background
The previous French carriers, ClemenceauClemenceau (R 98)
Clemenceau , often affectionately called "le Clem'", was the lead ship of her class, and the 6th aircraft carrier of the French Navy, serving from 1961 to 1997. She was the second French warship to be named after Georges Clemenceau, the first one being a battleship of the Richelieu class, laid...
and Foch
Foch (R 99)
Foch was the second of the French Navy. She was the second warship named in honour of Marshal Ferdinand Foch, after a heavy cruiser commissioned in 1932, and scuttled in Toulon on 27 November 1942....
, were completed in 1961 and 1963 respectively. The requirement for a replacement was identified in the mid-1970s, which became the 40,600-tonne nuclear powered Charles de Gaulle, laid down in April 1989 at the DCNS Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
naval shipyard. This carrier was completed in May 1994, but not officially commissioned until 2001 due to a large number of problems. These included the need to lengthen the flight deck after aircraft trials, a broken propeller and vibration and noise problems. The French Navy was understood to be unwilling to proceed with another carrier of the same design and by 2003 the possibility of sharing the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
design emerged to fulfil the French requirement for a second carrier.
The requirement for the carriers was confirmed by Jacques Chirac
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
in 2004 for the centennial of the Entente Cordiale
Entente Cordiale
The Entente Cordiale was a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial expansion addressed by the agreement, the signing of the Entente Cordiale marked the end of almost a millennium of intermittent...
and on 26 January 2006 the defence ministers of France and Britain reached an agreement regarding cooperation on the design of their future carriers. France agreed to pay the UK for access to the design due to the investment made to date. These payments were £30m in January 2006, £25m in July 2006 and a further £45m if France decides to proceed with the project.
The FY2008 French defence budget included the necessary funding (€3b) for the ship. However the carrier has not yet been ordered and a different design may be chosen because of disagreements over the propulsion. The global financial crisis of August 2011 increased the odds that this aircraft carrier may be discontinued.
Design
The French carrier would be built by an alliance of ThalesThales Group
The Thales Group is a French electronics company delivering information systems and services for the aerospace, defense, transportation and security markets...
and DCNS from their proposed design: a 283 m long, 75,000 tonnes variant of the CVF. While the UK in-service dates of 2014 and 2016 for their two carriers have been announced, the construction timetable for the French ship has not been disclosed. Charles de Gaulle will require refit and refuelling of her nuclear reactors around 2015.
The UK had originally chosen to continue to use STOVL
STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
aircraft for its new carrier; however, the choice of an adaptable design which could be reconfigured for future CATOBAR
CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier...
operation. this would have meant that the design meets the French Navy requirements. However, in October 2010, the UK decided to order the CATOBAR configuration the carriers. The French version is designed to operate the Dassault Rafale
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing multi-role jet fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Introduced in 2000, the Rafale is being produced both for land-based use with the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations with the French Navy...
, the E-2C Hawkeye and the NH-90. It is a CATOBAR
CATOBAR
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier...
design, using catapult of the same models as those installed on the Nimitz-class
Nimitz class aircraft carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...
supercarrier
Supercarrier
Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial descriptive term for the largest type of aircraft carrier, usually displacing over 70,000 long tons.Supercarrier is an unofficial...
s: C13-2 steam catapults, 90m long. The vessels are expected to be capable of carrying over 32 Rafales, three Hawkeyes and five NH-90s support/anti-submarine helicopters. The crew will be about 1650, instead of 1950 in the Charles de Gaulle, indicating the high level of automation integrated into the ship's systems.
Island
The ship may have two islands: one devoted to ship navigation, and the other to air operations. This allows optimal placement of bridges for both tasks: navigation calls for a bridge placed forward (as on the Charles De GaulleCharles de Gaulle (R 91)
Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy and the largest Western European aircraft carrier. She is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the first and so far only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United States Navy...
), while air operations are made easier with a bridge placed aft (as seen on the US Nimitz class
Nimitz class aircraft carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...
).
Propulsion
Because the design had to meet the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's requirements, nuclear propulsion was not an option: the British government rejected nuclear propulsion as too costly. The idea of renouncing nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion
Nuclear propulsion includes a wide variety of propulsion methods that fulfil the promise of the Atomic Age by using some form of nuclear reaction as their primary power source.- Surface ships and submarines :...
in this way has been alleged to be a backward step for French technology, but the operational and political gains from a common design apparently outweighed the downsides of conventional propulsion.
The carrier's propulsion system, in its current form, is expected to be integrated full electric propulsion (IFEP) based on two Rolls-Royce MT30
Rolls-Royce Marine Trent
-References:* Rolls-Royce plc Press release.-External links:*...
gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
s. The optimum location for the position of the main propulsion system is being examined to maximise the hangar space below the decks. The expected range of the carrier will be 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km).
Construction
The hull is likely to be built by Chantiers de l'AtlantiqueChantiers de l'Atlantique
Chantiers de l'Atlantique is part of the South Korean STX Shipbuilding Group and one of the world's largest shipyards, based in Saint-Nazaire, France...
at Saint Nazaire, and fitting out will be by DCN at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. The ship is likely to be based at Toulon naval base
Military port of Toulon
The military port of Toulon is the principal base of the French Navy, sited in the city of Toulon. It holds most of France's force d'action navale, comprising the aircraft carriers Charles de Gaulle as well as its nuclear attack submarines, in total more than 60% of the tonnage of the French...
where two huge dry docks are available to accommodate even a Nimitz-class
Nimitz class aircraft carrier
The Nimitz-class supercarriers are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in service with the United States Navy. With an overall length of and full-load displacements of over 100,000 long tons, they are the largest capital ships in the world...
aircraft carrier.
Ship naming
It has been proposed to name the aircraft carrier Richelieu, after Cardinal RichelieuArmand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu
Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu et de Fronsac was a French clergyman, noble, and statesman.Consecrated as a bishop in 1608, he later entered politics, becoming a Secretary of State in 1616. Richelieu soon rose in both the Catholic Church and the French government, becoming a...
, which was the name originally intended for the Charles de Gaulle
However, the name of the ship has not been decided yet.
See also
- Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier
- Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier