French carrier Charles de Gaulle trains to support NATO eastern flank

Analysis: Bombing the Shadow Fleet – French Aircraft Carrier Shows Its Teeth

By Mariusz Marszałkowski

The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle – the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in NATO outside the United States Navy – has been training to support NATO’s eastern flank. Defence24.pl was the only Polish media outlet to witness the operation up close.

The author would like to thank the entire crew of Charles de Gaulle and NATO Joint Force Command Naples for making the visit possible.

France's One and Only

R91 Charles de Gaulle is an exceptional warship. It is France’s sole aircraft carrier and the only nuclear-powered surface vessel in NATO outside the US Navy.

• Launched: 1994
• Entered service: 2001
• Role: Flagship of the French Navy (Marine Nationale)
• Key feature: One of the few aircraft carriers equipped with a CATOBAR system (Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery)

Its catapults and arresting wires enable the operation of heavier aircraft carrying full weapons loads, as well as carrier-borne airborne early warning aircraft such as the E-2 Hawkeye. The ship has a conventional aircraft-carrier configuration with an angled flight deck.

Flight Deck and Hangar

• Flight deck area: Approximately 12,000 square metres
• Catapults: Two C13-3 steam catapults (shortened versions of American catapults used on Nimitz-class carriers)
• Recovery system: Arresting-gear system
• Hangar area: Approximately 4,070 square metres, 6.1 metres in height
• Aircraft capacity: Up to 40 aircraft, primarily Rafale fighters

Propulsion

• Reactors: Two K15 pressurised-water reactors (manufactured by Areva/Framatome), each generating 150 MW of thermal power
• Turbines: Two Alstom steam turbines with a combined shaft output of approximately 61 MW (82,000 horsepower)
• Supplementary power: Four diesel-electric generator sets

Typical Air Wing

Approximately 40 aircraft, including:

• 30–35 Rafale fighters
• Two E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning and command aircraft
• Two to four NH90 helicopters
• Up to two AS365 Dauphin support and search-and-rescue helicopters

Crew and Personnel

• Total personnel: Approximately 2,000
• Ship's company: Around 1,300
• Aviation component: 500–600
• Additional capacity: Up to 500 personnel (e.g., marines)

Successor

Charles de Gaulle is to be succeeded by a new aircraft carrier named France Libre. The future vessel is expected to be larger than its predecessor and enter service in the late 2030s.

La Fayette and the Aborted Baltic Show of Force

The current deployment of the French carrier strike group (Groupe Aéronaval) is named La Fayette, following a French naval tradition of naming major carrier deployments after historic figures. Previous deployments have included Clemenceau 25.

The operation was originally intended to focus primarily on northern and eastern Europe, partly as a signal to Russia. Accompanied by a group comprising three frigates, support vessels, and a submarine, Charles de Gaulle entered the North Sea and the Baltic Sea – waters that had not hosted an aircraft carrier for a considerable period.

However, the mission was not completed as planned. The entire group was rapidly withdrawn from this part of Europe following the launch of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

Despite the interruption of its Baltic mission, Charles de Gaulle did not remain idle. In late April, the carrier and its strike group played an active role in another iteration of NATO’s Neptune Strike exercise. Defence24.pl had previously visited the Italian aircraft carrier Cavour, which also participated in an earlier edition of the exercise.

Neptune Strike and Tanker Engagements

Neptune Strike is one of NATO’s most important recurring military exercises. It focuses on maritime and air operations, including long-range strike missions conducted by NATO carrier-based aviation.

Principal participants are naturally those countries possessing such capabilities:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• France
• Italy
• Spain and Türkiye (to a more limited extent)

Another important element is countering the latest threats, including uncrewed systems. The author observed this part of the exercise at close quarters from aboard the frigate Alsace.

The French incorporated another element into the exercise, though further details were not provided in the original report.