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
Jasmine Crockett in, Colin Allred out: A major shakeup for Democrats in their quest to finally win a Senate seat in Texas - 2Visual communication Programming for Fledglings
- 3Congo declares its latest Ebola outbreak over, after 43 deaths
- 4The most effective method to Pick the Best Material Organization: Insider Tips
- 5IDF drops over 80 explosives on Tehran weapon production sites in latest strike
- Los Angeles County sees significant uptick in norovirus cases, officials say
- The Ascent of Rousing Pioneers Who Formed History
- Reveal Less popular Authentic Realities You Didn't Learn in School
- From Novice to Master: Dominating a Side interest
- Watching ‘Home Alone’ with the kids this holiday season? Brace yourself for '6-7.'
- James Webb Space Telescope spies mysterious high-energy radiation in star nursery
- NASA's Voyager 1 set to achieve historic distance from Earth
- UK to hold fresh pork, other affected Spanish products at border amid African swine fever outbreak
- Illegal entries into Germany halve over two years, border police say
