France Orders First Long Lead Items for Next Generation Aircraft Carrier Program (PANG)- Naval News
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According to a French MoD release, the contract awarded on 26 April by the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA – the defense procurement agency) focuses on the propulsion of the future aircraft carrier: The nuclear reactors, their containment structures and the secondary loop which converts the energy from the nuclear reactor into electricity.
This order which was awarded to three contractors anticipates the manufacturing of these elements, before the launch milestone for the construction of the entire aircraft carrier. The three contractors are:
- Shipbuilder Naval Group, in charge of the industrialization and production of the main components of nuclear reactors
- The Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard, in charge of adapting its industrial facilities for the construction phase in Saint-Nazaire;
- TechnicAtome, prime contractor for the nuclear reactors, is in charge of their design
PANG specifications
The latest technical specification of France’s future aircraft carrier are as follow (preliminary design data):
- Full load displacement: ~ 75,000 t
- Overall length: 310 m
- Length at waterline: 305 m
- Width at water line: 39 m
- Flight deck surface area: ~ 17,000 m²
- Max draught: 10.8 m
- Two or three 90-meter electromagnetic catapults (EMALS) by General Atomics
- Airwing: ~30 New Generation Fighter (NGF) and Rafale M
- Maximum speed: 30 knots (more than Charles de Gaulle)
Two or three emals?
According to the latest information obtained by Naval News from various industry sources (who wished to remain anonymous for confidentiality reasons), it appears that the choice is settled, at last, for three EMALS, as this is the most logical one. This information should be officially announced later this year, possibly during Euronaval 2024.
There is a plan to procure the EMALS and AAG sets for the PANG in a “group buy” with the USS Gerald R Ford CVN 78 program in order to benefit from economies of scale. However, Naval News understands that delays with the aircraft carrier program in the US could put this “group buy” in jeopardy. Inquired about this issue, a French navy source was reassuring and explained that even if CVN 80 and CVN 81 suffer a small delay, the French and Americans could still agree on a group buy, with different delivery schedule by General Atomics. Speaking of which, the American contractor is still reviewing a number of potential French companies who could become suppliers of sub-components, not only for the French EMALS and AAG, but also for the American ones. French and US parties involved in the PANG program are set to conduct a major meeting in September to discuss the various topics at hand.
A French Navy Rafale M is set to start a first phase of land-based tests and integration with the EMALS and AAG at Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey, next year.
PANG program schedule
Technical and operational studies started in 2018 and ended in 2019. In parallel, the conceptual design started at the end of 2018 and ended in December 2019.
A “risk mitigation & innovation studies” followed, between January 2021 and December 2023. At the same time, “preliminary design studies” started in Q1 2021 and ended in Q1 2023.
The PANG program is currently in the “definition phase”. It is set to end in December 2025 with the “system functional review” milestone.
The decision to launch the development and production phase is due for end of 2025 / early 2026, after which the “development and production” phase will span 10 years (2026 until 2036). Several milestones are set to be achieved in this timeframe:
- Preliminary design review in Q4 2028
- Critical design review in Q4 2029
- First sea trials: End of 2035 / early 2036
- Delivery: End of 2036 / early 2037
- Commissioning: End of 2037 / early 2038
The production & construction phase will start in early 2031 in St Nazaire. The PANG will then transfer to Toulon in mid-2035 to finish outfitting work until the end of 2036.
Regarding the transfer from St Nazaire to Toulon: Since Chantiers de l’Atlantique is not a nuclear shipyard, fueling of the nuclear core and divergence (first power up of the reactor) will take place in Toulon. According to the DGA program manager, the plan is to temporarily fit several diesel generators in the hangar (or on the flight deck) of the aircraft carrier in order to provide the electric propulsion system of the carrier with enough power. In other words, this initial transit (which will not be a sea trial) will be conducted with the vessel’s own power, just not nuclear power.
General Atomics Awarded Contract Continuing EMALS, AAG Evaluation for France's Next Generation Aircraft Carrier
SAN DIEGO – 02 September 2022 - General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to continue development and evaluation of tailored configurations of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) as a potential Foreign Military Sale to the French Navy for their next generation aircraft carrier, Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PA NG).
“We are proud to be supporting the ongoing efforts between our nations to realize the potential of integrating EMALS and AAG onboard the future flagship of the French Marine Nationale,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “For decades, France’s Charles de Gaulle and U.S. Nimitz-class carriers have provided interoperable capabilities to conduct joint operations and launch and recover aircraft on each other’s ships. EMALS and AAG onboard next generation French and U.S. aircraft carriers will provide increased interoperability between our navies and greater flexibility to launch a wider range of current and future aircraft for the decades to come.”
GA-EMS will continue evaluating optimal EMALS and AAG configurations for performance and document ship interfaces and impacts on the PA NG. The contract will culminate in 2023 with a System Requirements Review and an evaluation of French suppliers for potential component manufacturing in France.
Under previous contract awards over the past two years, GA-EMS participated in carrier studies to investigate the feasibility of implementing EMALS and AAG for the future French carrier design. In December 2021, the U.S. State Department announced it approved a possible Foreign Military Sale for a two EMALS and three AAG configuration to France.
The first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) recently completed its 10,000th successful launch and arrested landing using EMALS and AAG. The systems continue to perform successfully as CVN 78 prepares for its upcoming deployment. GA-EMS is currently under contract with the Navy to support CVN 78 sustainment requirements and is delivering EMALS and AAG for the next two Ford-class carriers currently under construction, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) and Enterprise (CVN 80). GA-EMS is also working with the Navy to determine the EMALS and AAG contract and schedule requirements for the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, Doris Miller (CVN 81).
About General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) Group is a global
leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind
electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS’ history
of research, development, and technology innovation has led to an
expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system
solutions supporting aviation, space systems and satellites, missile
defense, power and energy, and processing and monitoring applications
for critical defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.
For further information, visit www.ga.com/ems
Media Contact
EMS-MediaRelations@ga.com
ga-ems Sep 2, 2022
EMALS & AAG for PANG at the 2023 Paris Air Show
- 1. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, equipped with EMALS and AAG, is now fully deployed and currently sailing in the Mediterranean on its first deployment.
- 2. On the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), the EMALS and AAG systems are being prepared for certification. Production hardware for the future USS Enterprise (CVN-80) is about 90% complete.
- 3. GA was awarded the production contract for the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81), which includes a contract line item for advanced procurement of long lead materials for the French PA-Ng carrier program.
- 4. While not yet in production for the French EMALS, GA is looking ahead to be ready to move quickly into production when authorized by the French government, recognizing the importance of schedule for the PA-Ng program.
- 5. The UK Royal Navy is reportedly looking at EMALS
again for their Queen Elizabeth-class carriers. GA has a history working
with the UK on this and is ready to support incorporating their launch
and recovery systems if the UK government makes that decision. Replacing
the ski-ramp would give those carriers a significant upgrade in airwing
capability.
- 6. The USS Ford has conducted around 15,000 aircraft launches and recoveries so far, equivalent to 2-3 normal carrier deployments worth. Achieving this on the first deployment represents a significant milestone resulting from much persistence and teamwork.
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