Paris — French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday named France’s next nuclear-powered aircraft carrier France Libre (“Free France”), framing it as a symbol of national independence and an effort to bolster the country’s naval forces, whose presence in the Middle East has been vital since the start of the Iran war.
Macron unveiled the warship’s name during a visit to a shipyard in the western town of Indret where two nuclear reactors will be built. The France Libre, which will enter service in 2038, will have 30 Rafale fighter jets and a capacity of 2,000 sailors at an estimated cost of 10 billion euros ($11.5 billion).
The move comes as France deploys eight warships, two helicopter carriers and its current nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East. Macron described the large-scale deployment of the French navy as “unprecedented”, making France the European country with the most prominent presence in the region.
France Libre is a direct reference to General Charles de Gaulle’s resistance movement, which joined Allied forces during World War II to help liberate France and Europe from the Nazis, Macron said.
“In this name lives the memory of women and men who stood up against barbarism, united to save the motherland and decided to defend a certain idea of our nation,” he said. “So this name seals the promise of the future: to remain free, we must fear; to fear, we must be powerful.”
The new vessel will have a displacement of around 80,000 tons and a length of 310 meters (1,017 ft), compared to Charles de Gaulle’s 42,000 tons and 261 meters (856 ft).
This is still smaller than the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest warship, which has a displacement of more than 100,000 tons and measures 1,100 feet (334 meters).
France Libre will enhance France’s nuclear capabilities through its ability to carry nuclear-armed aircraft like the Charles de Gaulle, Macron stressed.
Earlier this month, Macron announced that France would increase its nuclear arsenal and allow the temporary deployment of its nuclear-armed aircraft to allies for the first time in a new strategy aimed at strengthening European independence.
France will be the only nuclear power in the European Union after Britain leaves the bloc in 2020.
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