French President Emmanuel Macron officially confirmed the launch of the program to build a new generation nuclear aircraft carrier. This ship is intended to replace the current flagship of the French fleet, Charles de Gaulle.
According to the agency ReutersThis statement was made during a speech by the head of state to the French army at a base in Abu Dhabi.
Macron emphasized that the decision to launch this “huge project” was taken this week.
The program, called Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération, is estimated to cost about 10.25 billion euros. The new ship is expected to be the largest military ship ever built in Europe and will be equipped with two K22 nuclear reactors. Commissioning is planned for 2038.
Macron first talked about plans to build a new aircraft carrier in 2020, but the project's implementation faced criticism from some lawmakers who proposed postponing construction due to budget deficits.
Previously, the Financial Times wrote that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Macron played an important role in disrupting the EU's plans for Russian assets and the French President betrayed German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz.
