Charles de Gaulle - Frenchman with an atomic heart

The Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is the flagship of the French Navy, put into service at the beginning of the 21st century - one of the largest warships in the world.
Equipped with two nuclear reactors, Charles de Gaulle is currently the world's only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier built outside the United States.
The ship has a classic design with a large flat deck, steam catapults and arresting gears. This design makes it more versatile and allows it to operate a full-fledged air wing with fighters, helicopters, transport aircraft and AWACS aircraft.
At the beginning of its operation, Charles de Gaulle faced many problems caused by the integration of a large number of complex technologies, many of which had not previously been used by French shipbuilding. Currently, the ship is actively serving, maintaining a high level of readiness and participating in many different operations. According to the French Navy's plan, Charles de Gaulle will serve until the mid-2040s, when it will be replaced by a new aircraft carrier of the PA-NG project currently under development.

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00:00 – Flagship of France
00:31 – Ancestors
02:20 – Charles de Gaulle
04:23 – Aircraft carrier description
06:45 – The carrier air wing
08:10 – The nuclear propulsion
09:56 – Why do the French need an aircraft carrier?
10:54 – Service
12:33 – Future