France considers operating two aircraft carriers for first time since 1997 to sustain naval airpower.

French Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Christophe Cluzel announced during a parliamentary hearing that France is evaluating a potential service extension for its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle beyond its planned 2038 retirement date. The formal feasibility study will examine the integrity of the carrier's two K15 pressurized water reactors, remaining nuclear fuel life, and propulsion machinery condition, with definitive conclusions expected in early 2029. Extending the vessel to 2040 would allow the French Navy to operate two flight decks simultaneously alongside its successor, the France Libre, during sea trials and fleet integration, mitigating operational availability gaps caused by major overhauls.

France is considering extending Charles de Gaulle's service beyond 2038 to operate it alongside the future France Libre, allowing the French Navy to alternate deployments and avoid losing its naval airpower whenever its sole carrier becomes unavailable. (Picture source: Naval Group)

On October 14, 2026, French Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Christophe Cluzel confirmed that France is examining whether its only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, could remain in service beyond its planned retirement in 2038, potentially allowing France to operate two aircraft carriers for the first time since the retirement of the Clemenceau in 1997. During a hearing before the National Assembly's Defense Committee, Cluzel explained that the assessment would examine the condition of the carrier's two K15 nuclear reactors, remaining nuclear fuel life, propulsion machinery, and other major equipment, with conclusions expected in early 2029. The France Libre, its 80,000-tonne successor, is scheduled to begin sea trials in 2036 and enter service in 2038, creating a two-year transition during which both carriers could navigate. Extending the Charles de Gaulle until 2040 would give France two flight decks capable of deploying Rafale M fighters and E-2 Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft during conflicts.

During the parliamentary hearing, deputy Daniel Grenon questioned whether a single aircraft carrier remained sufficient for high-intensity warfare, particularly when scheduled maintenance prevents France from deploying embarked fighters. Cluzel confirmed that the carrier's future would depend on assessments conducted in connection with its forthcoming maintenance cycle, but no decision has been made to retain the Charles de Gaulle beyond 2038. The early 2029 assessment would leave nine years to prepare a potential extension, including reactor servicing, replacement of aging equipment, and additional maintenance funding. The planned 2036-2038 overlap with the France Libre would allow crews to transfer experience and complete qualifications, although sea trials would not make the new carrier immediately combat-ready. Cluzel distinguished between two carriers, which could maintain one ship on alert at Toulon, and three, which would be needed to guarantee a permanent presence at sea.

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The objective of an extension would therefore be to reduce periods without embarked aviation rather than reestablish two simultaneously deployable carrier strike groups. Commissioned on May 18, 2001, the Charles de Gaulle (R91) measures 261.5 m, displaces 42,500 tonnes at full load, and has a flight-deck beam of 64.36 m. Its two K15 pressurized-water reactors each generate 150 MW of thermal power, supplying turbines delivering a combined 61 MW (83,000 horsepower) to two propeller shafts. The carrier reaches 27 knots, equivalent to 50 km/h, and can accelerate to 20 knots in four minutes. The reactors underwent refueling during the 2008 and 2017-2018 major overhauls, while another refueling period is envisaged from mid-2035. The extension assessment must also consider machinery wear, as earlier mechanical problems included premature wear of shaft couplings whose effective operating life was assessed at 20,000 hours instead of the originally expected 100,000 hours.

By 2040, the Charles de Gaulle carrier would have completed 39 years of commissioned service, making the planned 2027 overhaul an opportunity to assess equipment replacement requirements before the early 2029 decision. The Charles de Gaulle operates two 75 m C13-3 steam catapults capable of accelerating a 25-tonne aircraft to 270 km/h in two seconds, with launches possible at 30-second intervals. Three arresting wires stop returning aircraft from 220 km/h over 90 m in 1.5 seconds, although flight-deck geometry prevents simultaneous launches and recoveries. The ship has a 12,000 m² flight deck, 4,600 m² hangar, and two 36-tonne elevators, supporting up to 40 aircraft, including 30 Rafale M fighters and two E-2C Hawkeyes. Its maximum sortie capacity reaches 100 flights daily for seven days, using 20- to 24-aircraft waves every four hours or smaller waves every 90 minutes. Storage includes 3,400 tonnes of aviation fuel and 600 tonnes of ammunition, while provisions support 45 days of operation.

Retaining the carrier would preserve an additional conventional takeoff and arrested-recovery capability for fighter operations, airborne early warning, maritime strikes, and the naval component of France's airborne nuclear deterrent independently of the availability of the France Libre. The potential modernization study would also determine whether the Charles de Gaulle can remain operationally relevant through 2040 or later. Its SENIT 8 combat management system combines information from Link 11 and Link 16 networks with the SMART-S Mk2 radar, capable of tracking 500 targets at distances up to 250 km, the DRBV-26D long-range radar with a 370 km range, and the Arabel fire-control radar. The 2027 overhaul is planned to introduce the Sea Fire radar and SETIS 3.0 combat management system, replacing equipment from earlier modernization cycles.

Organic defenses include 32 Aster 15 missiles in Sylver A43 launchers, 12 Mistral missiles in two Sadral systems, ARBB-33 jammers, Sagaie decoys, and SLAT anti-torpedo countermeasures. The France Libre, measuring 310 m and displacing 78,000 to 80,000 tonnes, will instead use electromagnetic catapults, potentially creating separate maintenance requirements for the two ships. France also intends to acquire substantial initial stocks of electromagnetic catapult spare parts to limit dependence on U.S. repairs, while the new carrier's estimated €10 billion acquisition cost illustrates the financial implications of developing a new generation of aircraft carriers. France previously operated up to three light aircraft carriers simultaneously between 1953 and 1959: the Arromanches, a former British Colossus-class displacing 14,000 tonnes, alongside the La Fayette and the Bois Belleau, two former American Independence-class carriers displacing 11,000 tonnes each.

During Operation Saumon in 1955, the La Fayette and the Bois Belleau supported the French withdrawal from Tonkin, with squadron 12F relieving 14F between the two ships, while the Arromanches continued training in the Atlantic. In 1956, the Arromanches and the La Fayette deployed together during Operation Mousquetaire in Egypt, providing two French flight decks for offensive aviation. France subsequently commissioned the Clemenceau on November 22, 1961, and the Foch on July 15, 1963, maintaining two nearly identical carriers until 1997. Each measured 265 m, displaced 32,000 to 33,000 tonnes, and used six boilers producing 126,000 horsepower for a maximum speed of 32 knots. Both operated Crusader fighters, Étendard IV, Super Étendard, and Breguet Alizé aircraft, allowing common training and maintenance arrangements. The Clemenceau retired on September 25, 1997, and Foch in 2000, ending this arrangement.

A potential Charles de Gaulle-France Libre fleet would restore two carriers but with substantially less commonality in propulsion, catapults, and aviation support equipment. The principal constraint would be sustaining two carriers with France's existing aircraft and naval personnel inventories. The Charles de Gaulle's estimated 65% operational availability corresponds to 237 days annually, although this is an annualized readiness measure rather than a guarantee of days at sea. Its 2017-2018 overhaul lasted 19 months, involved 200,000 maintenance tasks, and cost €1.3 billion, illustrating the interruptions a second carrier could offset. France possessed 42 Rafale M fighters in 2024, whereas two nominal 30-fighter air wings would require 60, a shortfall of 18 before maintenance and training reserves. Even two 24-fighter air groups would require 48 aircraft, six more than the 2024 inventory.

The planned acquisition of 12 Rafale F5 fighters in 2029 is intended to replace older aircraft, not necessarily expand the fleet. The Charles de Gaulle also requires approximately 1,200 ship's company personnel, 600 aviation personnel, and 90 command staff, while independent deployments would require additional Hawkeye aircraft, air-defense frigates, nuclear-powered attack submarines, and replenishment ships. Two carriers could theoretically raise alert availability from 65% to 100% through staggered maintenance, but only if sufficient crews, aircraft, and support forces are available. France's historical two-carrier operations illustrate three possible employment arrangements after 2038.

During Operation Alfa between 1966 and 1968, the Clemenceau and the Foch completed successive nine-month deployments to the Pacific, sustaining an 18-month commitment associated with French nuclear testing through carrier rotation. During Operation Saphir from 1974 to 1977, they maintained successive deployments in the Indian Ocean, while the Clemenceau later conducted Operation Olifant off Lebanon, including a Super Étendard strike near Baalbek in November 1983. Operation Prométhée kept the Clemenceau deployed for 13 months between July 1987 and September 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War, with the Foch remaining within the wider readiness cycle.

In March 1985, the Foch demonstrated another arrangement by transitioning within 72 hours from reduced-readiness PA 2, with one staffed catapult and a predominantly helicopter-based air group, to fully operational PA 1. During the Yugoslav conflicts, the Clemenceau and the Foch alternated in the Adriatic between 1993 and 1996, generating 1,500 operational sorties with 35 aircraft over three years. By comparison, the Charles de Gaulle generated 1,573 sorties during just over five months off Libya in 2011 with 18 fighters and Hawkeye aircraft. Extending the Charles de Gaulle's service life could reproduce these rotation and reserve-readiness arrangements, but the April 2027 major overhaul, expected to last 18 to 24 months, must first establish whether reactor-vessel aging and machinery condition permit continued service.

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Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.