Charles de Gaulle-class

The requirement for a replacement for the conventionally powered Clemenceau-class carriers was identified in the mid-1970s. Ordered as Richelieu in 1986, the vessel was renamed Charles de Gaulle in 1987. Construction began at the DCN Brest naval shipyard with the laying of the hull in April 1989. The project faced several delays due to funding shortages and economic recession, resulting in four work suspensions between 1990 and 1995. The ship was launched in May 1994 and entered service in May 2001.

Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear-powered CATOBAR aircraft carrier. It utilizes steam catapults, positioned at the bow and the waist, to launch aircraft. The flight deck was extended following 1999 sea trials to accommodate the E-2C Hawkeye. The vessel operates an air wing consisting of Rafale M fighters, E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft, and various helicopters including the Dauphin, Caracal, and NH90. Following a midlife refit concluded in 2018, the ship features updated combat systems and infrastructure to support Rafale F3 aircraft.

Operational service began in late 2001 with deployment to the Indian Ocean for Operation Enduring Freedom. French air wings conducted reconnaissance and strike missions over Afghanistan and performed cross-deck operations with the United States Navy. In 2002, the vessel conducted combat air patrols off the coasts of India and Pakistan. In 2011, the carrier deployed to the Mediterranean to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 during the intervention in Libya. Starting in 2015, the ship participated in Opération Chammal against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria. During this deployment, the French commander of Task Force 473 assumed leadership of the United States Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 50.

Later deployments included Mission Clemenceau in 2019 and participation in Operation Inherent Resolve in 2020. An outbreak of COVID-19 in April 2020 resulted in the infection of 1,081 crew members and the vessel's early return to its home port. Between 2021 and 2025, the carrier led multiple missions into the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, and Indo-Pacific, participating in bilateral exercises with the navies of India, Singapore, and Indonesia, as well as the multinational exercise La Perouse 2025.