France intends to build a new, larger, and more modern aircraft carrier to expand its position as a naval power. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Sunday the plans he had already presented in 2020, aiming to replace the aging aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle.”

Macron said before soldiers at a French military base in Abu Dhabi, near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, that the decision to launch this massive program was made this week. The construction of the ship will also strengthen French industry, especially small and medium-sized enterprises.

The project, known as “Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération” (PANG), is estimated to cost 10.25 billion euros. The ship would be the largest warship ever built in Europe. Besides France, only the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain have aircraft carriers in Europe. The United States owns eleven of these ships, and China three.

Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin wrote on platform X that the new ship will enter service in 2038, which is when the “Charles de Gaulle” is expected to be retired. This aircraft carrier began service in 2001, about 15 years after the order was placed.

Some French deputies from the center and moderate left recently called for a postponement of the project, citing the country’s strained public finances. France is one of Europe’s leading military powers and one of only five official nuclear powers.

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