France names next nuclear aircraft carrier “France Libre”

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that the country’s next nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be named “France Libre” (“Free France”), invoking the resistance movement led by Charles de Gaulle during World War II.

The future warship is intended to replace the French Navy’s sole carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, and is scheduled to enter service in 2038. Once completed, it is expected to become the largest warship ever built in Europe, highlighting France’s ambition to maintain a leading role in global naval operations.

Macron said the name pays tribute to those who resisted Nazi occupation, linking the new vessel symbolically to one of the defining periods in modern French history. The announcement was made at the Indret shipyard, near Nantes, where the carrier’s nuclear reactors will be built.

The project, estimated at around €10 billion, marks one of the most significant defense investments in France in recent decades. Construction of the hull is expected to begin in Saint-Nazaire in 2031.

The new carrier will be substantially larger than the Charles de Gaulle. It is projected to displace close to 80,000 tonnes and measure about 310 meters in length, compared with 42,000 tonnes and 261 meters for its predecessor. The ship is expected to operate a crew of around 2,000 and carry a mix of roughly 30 fighter aircraft and unmanned systems.

Although official renderings often depict Rafale fighters onboard, the future air wing is expected to rely increasingly on combat drones and a sixth-generation fighter being developed under the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS program.

France remains one of only two countries operating nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, alongside the United States. At the same time, China has been expanding its own carrier fleet, investing in large vessels equipped with electromagnetic catapults.

The recently commissioned Fujian has a size comparable to France Libre but uses conventional propulsion, while a follow-on design, known as the Type 004, is already under development and may adopt nuclear power.

The introduction of “France Libre” is expected to ensure continuity of French carrier-based aviation capabilities into the second half of the century, while incorporating new technologies and operational concepts.