China News Agency, Paris, December 8th (Reporter Li Yang) French President Macron announced on the 8th local time that France will build a new generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and will replace the "De Gaulle" nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 2038.
Macron inspected the nuclear reactor manufacturer Framatome on the same day, explaining the latest French nuclear policy.
He said that France's nuclear weapons and atomic energy industries are the country's "foundation of strategic autonomy", and France's strategic future and status as a major power depend on the level of the nuclear industry.
Macron said that the new generation of aircraft carriers will have nuclear power like the "De Gaulle" aircraft carrier.
He said that Framatome's factory has long been producing parts and components for the Navy, and in the future, many important parts of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will also be produced by Framatome.
The French military initially considered building a conventionally powered aircraft carrier, but Macron still chose to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
According to French public opinion analysis, despite the high construction cost of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers still have advantages over conventionally-powered aircraft carriers from the perspective of technology, strategy and climate change.
French officials revealed that the new aircraft carrier will be built by the French defense contractor-the French Navy Group.
The technical data disclosed by the French Navy Group shows that the new aircraft carrier has a displacement of 75,000 tons and a total length of 300 meters. The relevant data exceeds that of the "De Gaulle" aircraft carrier; it can accommodate about 2,000 sailors and carry 32 new-generation fighters.
The new aircraft carrier is also preparing to adopt a number of advanced military technologies and is expected to serve for 40 years.
The French military did not disclose the construction cost of the new aircraft carrier. French public opinion estimates that the construction of the new aircraft carrier may cost 5 to 7 billion euros.
Since Britain has "Brexit", France is currently the only nuclear power among EU countries.
Macron stated that it will invest 500 million euros in the French nuclear industry and carry out modernization.
He also promised to make progress in solving the nuclear waste problem.
Macron said that nuclear power is still an important part of France's energy supply, but France needs to make more efforts to develop wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.
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