Future French nuclear aircraft carrier industrial design platform inaugurated

The French minister of defence on 29 March inaugurated in Lorient (Britanny, west of France) the design platform for the new generation aircraft carrier, which brings together teams from Naval Group, Chantiers de l’Atlantique and TechnicAtome, and announced the notification of the Avant-Projet Sommaire (brief preliminary design) contract. The minister also attended the signing by the CEO of Naval Group and the general manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique of the agreements creating a joint company they propose to the contract authority in order ensure the project management of the armed vessel (excluding the boiler rooms). After the announcement made on in December 2020 by the French president on the launch of the design of the French nuclear aircraft carrier, Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique proposed to France an industrial organisation in co-contracting with TechnicAtome. Naval Group and Chantiers de l’Atlantique have decided to create a joint company dedicated to the PA NG (Aircraft Carrier New Generation) program, the project management of which is ensured by DGA, the French Defence Procurement Agency, and CEA, the French Atomic and Alternative Energies Commission. The choice of this industrial organisation to ensure the project management of the armed vessel (excluding the boiler rooms) was aimed at maximising synergies and capitalising on the strengths of each partner. It relies on the accountability of its mother companies and their solidarity with their common company. This organisation, aiming at the best efficiency, will make it possible to meet the major challenges of such a complex program. The relations with Technicatome, which has the status of a co-contractor, are being finalised for the design, fabrication and integration. Naval Group is the overall architect of the nuclear aircraft carrier and transverse systems. In particular, the company will ensure the integration of the combat system, navigation and aviation systems, catapults and arresters, the production of nuclear boiler subassemblies, and the integration of these boilers into the ship. Chantiers de l’Atlantique will be the construction and integration site of the ship and will provide the architecture of the powered platform. For all phases from design to construction, its activity relates to large platform systems such as: structure, electric propulsion, life function, manoeuvring and auxiliary installations and transversal activities such as hydrodynamics, while ensuring control of industrial coordination. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]