French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

*Charles de Gaulle*
	Charles de Gaulle in 2019.
Class overview
Name	Charles de Gaulle class
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Clemenceau class
Succeeded by	PA2 (cancelled); PANG (planned);
Cost	€3 billion (2001)
Built	1989–2000
In commission	2001–present
Planned	1
Completed	1
History
France
Name	Charles de Gaulle
Namesake	Charles de Gaulle
Ordered	3 February 1986
Builder	Naval Group
Laid down	14 April 1989 (stacking of elements in prefabrication since 24 November 1987)
Launched	7 May 1994
Maiden voyage	18 May 2001
Renamed	Ordered as Richelieu on 3 February 1986, renamed Charles de Gaulle 18 May 1987
Homeport	Toulon, France
Identification	Pennant number: R91; MMSI number: 228711555;
Nickname(s)	CDG
Honours and; awards	Jack with the colours of the Free French Forces (front) and the ribbon of the Ordre de la Libération (back)
Status	in active service
General characteristics
Type	Aircraft carrier
Displacement	42,500 t (41,800 long tons) (full load)
Length	261.5 m (857 ft 11 in) LOA
Beam	Overall: 64.36 m (211 ft 2 in); Waterline: 31.5 m (103 ft 4 in);
Height	66.5 m (218 ft 2 in)
Draught	9.43 m (30 ft 11 in)
Propulsion	2 × Areva K15 pressurised water reactors (PWR), 150 MWt each, LEU < 20%; 2 × Alstom steam turbines with a total 61 MW (82,000 hp) shaft power; 4 × diesel-electric; 2 × shafts;
Speed	27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)
Range	Unlimited distance; 20–25 years
Endurance	45 days of food
Capacity	800 commandos, 500 t (490 long tons; 550 short tons) of ammunition
Complement	Ship's company: 1,350; Air wing: 600;
Sensors and ; processing systems	DRBJ 11 B tridimensional air search radar; Thales SMART-S MK2 (replacing DRBJ 11B); DRBV 26D air search radar; DRBV 15C low altitude air search radar; Arabel target acquisition radar;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	ARBR 21 Detector; ARBB 33 Countermeasures suite; ARBG2 MAIGRET Interceptor; 4 × Sagaie decoys launcher; SLAT (Système de lutte anti-torpille) torpedo countermeasures;
Armament	4 × 8 cell A-43 Sylver launchers carrying the MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missile.; 2 × 6 cell Sadral launchers carrying Mistral short-range missiles; 20mm autocannons; 8 × Giat 20F2 20 mm cannons (original); 3 × Nexter Narwhal (since 2019);
Aircraft carried	30–40 aircraft, including; 30 Rafale M (standard); 2 E-2C Hawkeye; 2 NFH Caïman Marine; 1 AS565 Panther ISR; 2 AS365F Dauphin Pedro;

Charles de Gaulle is the flagship of the French Navy. The ship, commissioned in 2001, is the tenth French aircraft carrier, the first French nuclear-powered surface vessel, and the only nuclear-powered carrier completed outside of the United States Navy. She is named after French president and general Charles de Gaulle.

The ship carries a complement of Dassault Rafale M and E-2C Hawkeye aircraft, AS365F Dauphin Pedro, EC725 Caracal and AS532 Cougar helicopters for combat search and rescue, as well as modern electronics and Aster missiles. She is a CATOBAR-type carrier that uses two 75 m (246 ft) C13‑3 steam catapults of a shorter version of the catapult system installed on the US Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, one at the bow and one at the waist. As of July 2021, Charles de Gaulle was the only non-American carrier-vessel that had a catapult launch system, which has allowed for operation of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and C-2 Greyhounds of the United States Navy.

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