Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)

The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) is the flagship of the French Navy and a core asset of France’s naval aviation. Commissioned in 2001, it became the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French surface vessel powered by nuclear energy, and the only nuclear-powered carrier built outside the United States Navy. The ship is named after President and General Charles de Gaulle.

The carrier operates an air wing that includes Dassault Rafale M multirole fighters, E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft, as well as AS365F Dauphin, EC725 Caracal, and AS532 Cougar helicopters for combat and search-and-rescue missions. Its capabilities are enhanced by advanced electronic systems and Aster missiles. The ship is built to the CATOBAR configuration and fitted with two 75 m C13-3 steam catapults—a shortened version of those used on Nimitz-class aircraft carrier carriers. As of March 2026, together with the Chinese carrier Fujian, it remains one of the few non-American carriers equipped with catapult launch systems. This enables operations of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters and C-2 Greyhound transport aircraft from the U.S. Navy.

Charles de Gaulle replaced the conventionally powered carrier Foch. Its predecessors, Clemenceau and Foch, entered service in the 1960s, while the requirement for a next-generation carrier was identified in the mid-1970s.

The keel was laid in April 1989 at the DCN shipyard in Brest. The ship was launched in May 1994 and, with a full displacement of around 42,000 tonnes, became the largest warship built in Western Europe since HMS Ark Royal. Initially, the carrier was to be named “Richelieu” in honor of Cardinal Richelieu, but in 1987 it was renamed by Prime Minister Jacques Chirac to its current name.

Construction faced repeated delays due to insufficient funding and the economic downturn of the early 1990s. The total project cost exceeded €3 billion, and work was suspended several times. Ultimately, the ship was commissioned on May 18, 2001—approximately five years behind schedule.

A major overhaul began in 2007 and lasted about 15 months. During this refit, the nuclear reactor was refueled, propellers were replaced, and aviation support and weapons systems were upgraded. These improvements enabled the carrier to reach its design speed of 27 knots and operate upgraded Rafale F3 fighters equipped with ASMP-A nuclear missiles and SCALP EG cruise missiles. Satellite communication capacity was also significantly increased. Following completion in 2008, the ship’s displacement rose to 42,500 tonnes.

In 2010, a deployment was cut short due to a propulsion system malfunction. Later, the carrier underwent another extensive modernization between 2017 and 2018: the reactor was refueled again, routine maintenance was carried out, and combat systems were upgraded. This enhanced interoperability with allied forces and improved the effectiveness of carrier-based aviation, including Rafale fighters.