A presidential choice

French president Emmanuel Macron has confimed this afternoon that the new generation aircraft carrier (PANG) will be equipped of a nuclear propulsion. He has made the announcement facing a model of the PANG, on the Creusot Framatome website, which will contribute to the the realization of the K22 boiler, a new model extrapolated from the current K15 in service in the navy. Two will equip a aircraft carrier bigger than  PANG : 75 000 tons in thye beginning of the carrier, as opposed to 42 000 of Charles-de-Gaulle airplane.

The airplane will be able to board 30 NGF planes, more than the current aircraft carrier. It will be equipped with two electromagnetic catapults supplied a priori by General Atomics, which already equips the USS Ford in the US Navy.

The American industry will also give  at least three E-2D Hawkeye, and stop strands. A bill estimated of 3 billion of euros for this American bying list.

The cost problematic and the take out capacity

For now, Minarm refuses to debate about giving amounts, and only giving studies : 900 MEUR that will be invested  in 2025 including 117 in 2021. This absence of  quote will make it difficult the launch of the programme regarding parlemantarian that cannot ratify expenses that are not figured. Mirnam prefers evoking the capacity of PANG to realize the "24-plane decks", and ensure not being able to board more « than 30 planes, it is what one can put inside an aircraft carrier of 75 000 tons ».  Whereas Charles de Gaulle plane is sold for 40 aircrafts.  The American double the number of planes inside an aircraft carrier of 100 000 tons.

Upcoming operational vulnerabilities ?

Strangely, Minarm is not hiding having thought about reducing intrinsic defence capacities of the airc raft carrier for the reason that it is forcely accompanied by anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigates.

Maybe forgetting quickly that those ship must also defend themselves and facing saturating attacks, their cargo bunkers will be quickly empty. We have seen the fragility of this type of logic on  navy amphibious helicopter carriers.