FRENCH CARRIER CHARLES DE GAULLE

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier CHARLES DE GAULLE was launched at the DCN Brest Naval Dockyard if May this year. She is due to commence sea trails in January 1998, followed by acceptance in April 1998 and commissioning in July 1999. The standard displacement is 35,550 tons, with a full load displacement of 39,680 tons. Excluding the US NAVY, the carrier will be the largest combat ship afloat, being able to effectively handle 40 aircraft armed with advanced weapons. The nuclear power plants provide the carrier with the ability to cruise at maximum speed for months at a time. The primary self-defence system will be based around the vertically-launched ASTER-15SAAM/F (Sol-Air Anti Missile) point defence missile system currently under development. In order to effectively operate in a multi-threat environment the combat system is designed to process up to 2000 tracks/targets in real time, data from any one single track being processed in milliseconds.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Navy International v 99 n 9/10, Sept/Oct 1994, p 244 [3 p, 3 fig]
• Publication Date: 1994

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft carriers; Military vessels
• Identifier Terms: Charles de Gaulle (Aircraft carrier)
• Subject Areas: Marine Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00709420
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM