Speaking during a Christmas visit to French troops stationed in the United Arab Emirates, Macron said, “I have decided to equip France with a new aircraft carrier. The decision to launch this huge programme was taken this week.” He confirmed that the decision marks the formal start of construction preparations following years of development work.
The main contractor for the programme is the French defence company Naval Group, while the hull will be built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire. Macron also announced that he will personally visit the shipyard in February 2026 to take part in the ceremony marking the start of construction.
The future carrier will be 310 metres long and 85 metres wide, with a displacement of around 77,000 tonnes, nearly double that of its predecessor. Powered by two TechnicAtome K22 nuclear reactors, the ship is expected to be launched in 2036 and will allow crew training to begin ahead of its full operational readiness, before taking over all duties from the older vessel.
