France is set to begin construction of a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
"In times of aggression, we must be strong to be feared. I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier," Macron was quoted as saying by French media at a Christmas event at a French military base in the United Arab Emirates.
With a displacement of around 80,000 tons, the carrier will be almost twice as heavy as its predecessor, the Charles de Gaulle.
At 310 metres long and 85 metres wide, it is designed to accommodate 30 fighter jets and 2,000 crew members.
Construction is estimated to cost up to €10 million ($11.7 million). The carrier is expected to be operational from 2038, Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said on X.
France is the only country besides the US that owns a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The Charles de Gaulle was commissioned in 2001.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Ultra-Orthodox protests erupt across Israel on haredi IDF enlistment day - 2Wait, it's 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'? Why the new HBO series name is significant to Americans
- 3A definitive Manual for Choosing Indoor Plants Ideal for Your Space
- 4Under pressure at home, Belgium's leader treads a tight rope with EU partners over funds for Ukraine
- 5Pick Your Favored method of transportation
- 4 astronauts depart ISS, leaving behind just 3 crewmates to staff the orbiting lab
- Find the Standards of Viable Nurturing: Supporting Blissful and Strong Kids
- Banks for High Fixed Store Rates: Augment Your Investment funds
- Israel strikes south Lebanon after first direct talks in decades
- Figurine of a woman and a goose offers peek at prehistoric beliefs
- Israeli naval intelligence reduces Iranian threat to Strait of Hormuz
- Prehistoric wolf’s gut frozen in time reveals an ice age giant
- The Solution to Defeating Tarrying: Systems for Expanded Efficiency
- Step by step instructions to Pick the Ideal Authorize Internet Advertising Degree Program
