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
Tanzania president remorseful over internet shutdown on election day - 2Flu season is just beginning, but doctors are already on high alert
- 3Kids get diseases like lupus, too. As researchers hunt better treatments, this camp brings joy
- 4Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value
- 5Mexican Woman Accused of Assaulting Partner With Belt After He Refused Sex, Police Say
- Shah Capital pushes for Novavax sale, warns of proxy fight
- Is new Harry Styles music on the way? Fans think so, after a cryptic website and posters pop up.
- Vote In favor of Your Number one Cell phones
- Rights group: At least 2,500 deaths during protest crackdown in Iran
- ADHD drugs work, but not the way experts thought
- New nesting beach for birds at RSPB reserve
- Proficient Cultivating Devices for a Lovely and Useful Nursery in 2024
- Revealing the Incomparable Realms: An Excursion through Power and Inheritance
- Sports Shoes of 2024: Upgrade Execution and Solace
