A French parliamentary report published in early June floated the idea of postponing the construction of the next generation aircraft carrier (also known as PANG), but the Minister for the Armed Forces firmly opposed such an option and voiced his support for the program.
For the record, design work on the French Navy’s next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN) is close to complete, with the program approaching a key approval milestone to transition into its manufacture phase by year-end. The French parliamentary report therefore adds another layer of doubt to this highly political and politicized program, rekindling the debate. In reality, the program is well underway with the first contract for the order of long lead items awarded in April 2024.
The subject of PANG is still causing a stir. As the most important program of the French armed forces, its cost and everything associated with it is subject to debate in public opinion and the political sphere.
Against the backdrop of a very tight national budget and France’s attempts to rearm as best it can, two members of the French parliament have submitted a report on the balance between mass and high technology for French military equipment. The report explores various options for releasing funds from the current military planning law (LPM) – law that frames the French defence budget for a given period – in order to bring the law up to date with the current geopolitical context and redistribute funds to more pressing capabilities.
This is how the subject came up. The two MPs are offering to postpone the construction of the new generation aircraft carrier, which they believe would free up several million euros, or even up to a billion euros a year in credits that could be used to finance other capabilities, including the financing of additional frigates to increase the size of the Navy and give it an export advantage, as the Italian Navy is currently doing.
“Each day’s delay in the PANG represents several million euros, which we can invest additionally for the needs of the coming months and years, particularly for the French Navy. We therefore support the ambitious proposal to launch production of three additional frigates, based on the Italian model, at the Lorient shipyard”, stresses the report.
However, while the MPs are proposing a postponement, they are in no way questioning the relevance of France’s need for an aircraft carrier.
“France naturally needs a new aircraft carrier to replace the Charles de Gaulle, which will be withdrawn from service in 2038, because we are an archipelago nation and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. […] So it’s not questioning the relevance of having at least one aircraft carrier for the French Navy”.
Faced with this report, the Navy and its Chief of Staff, Admiral Vaujour, mobilised to push the other way. While three additional frigates would obviously be welcome as the MoD suggested back in February, in order to cope with all the current operations, for the sailors the shift in the PANG program is quite simply not a good solution.
It seems that everyone in the Navy, at their own level, mobilized themselves to promote to politicians the capabilities of an aircraft carrier and the benefits to the Navy. During the recent visit by the French President aboard a FREMM calling in Norway, the commanding officer explained the importance of the carrier strike group for the French Navy. What’s more, during a parliamentary hearing a few weeks ago, after the report was published, Admiral Vaujour insisted on the importance of the PANG and the aircraft carrier as a naval combat and diplomatic tool.
“The construction of the future aircraft carrier is an exceptional growth lever” Admiral Vaujour said, adding that it is the excellence of French know-how, “It is a unique industrial fabric to be preserved”, “this is a strong impact in all regions” Vaujour said.
Asked on this subject during his hearing before the Senate, the Minister for the Armed Forces set the record straight and voiced his opposition to the postponement of such program for several reasons.
First of all, he emphasized how the aircraft carrier is an essential tool in any future conflict: in particular for air superiority above the sea, but also for projecting air forces ashore.
“All debates are possible, but I have two certainties. The first is that there will never be a time in the future, in any conflict, where we will not need to provide air defence and air superiority.” explains Sebastien Lecornu, MoD.
He went on to explain why the PANG is absolutely necessary to maintain industrial skills. Without the two reactors that the new aircraft carrier would host, maintaining the industry would be even more costly and difficult to maintain.
“We shouldn’t kid ourselves, as this is not a global know-how: 4 nuclear reactors for 4 SSBNs, 6 reactors for 6 SSNs […] and the 2 nuclear reactors with their development and maintenance [for the PANG], that’s just enough to keep the skills alive” he added.
Finally, he raised the question of human resources, which would also be complex, with a serious loss of know-how and technical skills if the program were to be postponed.
“You can’t give up on an entire crew, an entire naval aviation, and say it’s going to be over in 4-5 years […]. You can’t do that. You already have people in the Navy who are preparing the crew for the next 10 or 15 years from now. So, the scenario in which we would stop the aircraft carrier function for 4 or 5 years, we must tell the truth: if it stops, it would stop completely. We’re not going to keep 1,400 sailors for 4 years doing nothing, it doesn’t make sense.”
The debate within the political sphere in France is lively and only a political decision at the highest level will ensure its continuity.
