PA NG - France libre-class French Aircraft carrier program NEWS

[Scott Kenny]

A sister ship would be quite good as France have only ever had the Charles de Gaule as their only aircraft carrier, quite why they did that I will never know as they had the Foch and Clemenceau as their previous carriers.

$$$$$$$$$$$

Couldnt afford two carriers then. And I doubt they'll be able to afford two carriers now, but I'm hopeful.

 

[Archibald]

$$$$$$$$$$$

Couldnt afford two carriers then. And I doubt they'll be able to afford two carriers now, but I'm hopeful.

CdG sistership was a can kicked down the road all around the 1990s. Then the PA2 / CVF with the british was also kicked down the 2000s until Sarkozy, for once in his entire life, took an intelligent decision: he stopped it. You know a project is deeply fucked up when, of all morons on this planet, Sarkozy does something right.

 

[helmutkohl]

The models on deck don't. Only on Hawkeyes.

What is the helicopter in the back by the Hawkeye?

 

[H_K]

What is the helicopter in the back by the Hawkeye?

Just a normal NH90.

 

[Neshav Nirmal]

It’s a good looking ship.

 

[BonPlan2]

But would France be able to afford three large carriers of the size of PANG/France Libre? Two at most is what I am suspecting the total purchase will be.

3 ? A second one is already a fantasm.

 

[BonPlan2]

I would be very surprised if SCAF/France 6gen doesn't have folding wings.

A choice not made for Rafale. Why do you want us to change ? Specially when you see the low qty needed by french navy.
Folding wings add weight, price, lowered wing strenght.

 

[BonPlan2]

OPSEC training for all hands in 3...2...1...

Only 30 Rafales? that seems low.

the actual mid size nuc carrier can accomodate 30 Rafale.
The next gen one much more (of the Rafale size. SCAF will be bigger). But the whole french navy Rafale fleet is less than 45 units....

 

[Scott Kenny]

the actual mid size nuc carrier can accomodate 30 Rafale.
The next gen one much more (of the Rafale size. SCAF will be bigger). But the whole french navy Rafale fleet is less than 45 units....

That can be fixed. Though I guess the real question is how many UCAVs will be part of the French carrier wing. Since many of the US proposals have about 30 manned aircraft with the rest being drones.

 

[Titus K]

@Hood
Not "Libre-class"please.
It should be "France libre-class", with a lowercase "l" for "libre".

 

[Hood]

@Hood
Not "Libre-class"please.
It should be "France libre-class", with a lowercase "l" for "libre".

Title edited.

 

[Scott Kenny]

CVF FR with steam catapults isn't possible anymore as the US doesn't make steam catapults anymore, that would've reduced the cost. And the main cost reduction from CVF FR initially came from the simultaneous construction with the British carriers.

Are steam cats really all that much cheaper than an EM cat?


Pulled this one out of the PANG thread, but it needs to be addressed here.

View attachment 800769
View attachment 800770
First pic from Navy lookout, have to ask, why has Pang not adopted the more optimal layout used on american carriers of the forward cats being angled from the starboard to port side rather than straight on, this would allow for simultaneous takeoffs and landings with 2 cats rather than the current version which can barely do a single cat launch while leaving the landing strip open?

It looks like the issue is where the forward elevator is. Look at the Nimitz, the forward elevator is aft of the jet blast deflectors.

With the Fl only having two elevators, they'd have to move the island way up front and put the two elevators farther aft. And frankly, the island up front is bad for air operations.

 

[Titus K]

On EMALS / AAG export —> https://www.meretmarine.com/fr/defe...trump-sur-les-futurs-porte-avions-occidentaux

France is clearly the most advanced case. The future France libre aircraft carrier is now being designed around 3 EMALS catapults and a 3-wire AAG system.

U.S. contractual work related to this configuration has accelerated significantly in 2026 :

• In February, NAVAIR awarded General Atomics a $43.35 million contract modification to continue defining the French configuration through its Critical Design Review.
• In March, an additional $23.4 million was committed for the procurement of long-lead-time components and technical data intended to prepare for production.

In other words, France is no longer at the stage of a mere feasibility study. The architectural choices have been made, preparatory procurement for manufacturing has already begun, and contracts have either been signed or are in the process of being finalized. Indeed, according to our information, a broader announcement formally confirming the acquisition of the 3 EMALS systems and the AAG equipment intended for the France Libre could be made shortly, possibly during the Euronaval exhibition to be held next November.

In any case, Paris appears to have no intention whatsoever of following Washington in any potential change of course. Following Donald Trump's announcement, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces stated that no particular technical or industrial risk had been identified for the manufacture of the equipment intended for the France Libre. The French decision has been studied extensively, and the tests conducted in the United States have notably made it possible to verify the compatibility of the Rafale with EMALS and the AAG. France also has an additional reason to favor electromagnetic technology: its future aircraft carrier was designed from the outset around a largely electrified architecture.