France selects nuclear propulsion option for future aircraft carrier

摘要

French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that the country's next-generation aircraft carrier will be nuclear powered. The projected new carrier, known as Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Generation (PANG), is planned to replace the French Navy's current carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in about 2038. Macron made the announce-ment during a visit to French nuclear power company Framat-ome in Le Creusot on 8 Decem-ber 2020. Framatome builds nuclear reactors and associated equipment, and is set to provide several major elements of the new K22 reactor slated for PANG. Following the president's announcement, the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Naval Group provided more details of the likely characteris-tics of the PANG design.