Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier operated by Marine nationale, powered by 2 K15 of about 150 MWt each. Operating.
The only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States, and it runs on low-enriched fuel.
| Reactor | K15 |
|---|---|
| Reactors per vessel | 2 |
| Thermal output | 150MWt each |
| Fuel enrichment | Low-enrichedLEU |
| Refuelling | About every 5 years at 25 knots |
| Category | aircraft carrier |
|---|---|
| Role | CVN |
| Operator | Marine nationale |
| Country | France |
| Vessels in class | 1 |
| In service from | 2001 |
| Status | Operating |
Other aircraft carriers
| Class | Enrichment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise (CVN-65) | HEU | Retired |
| Gerald R. Ford class | HEU | Operating |
| Nimitz class | HEU | Operating |
Charles de Gaulle in context
It is one of 4 aircraft carrier programs on record, 3 of them operating and 1 retired, and one of 3 naval reactor programs from the same country.
Each of its reactors is rated about 150 MWt; across the 3 aircraft carrier programs with a stated rating the median is 550 MWt, and this one ranks 3rd.
With 2 reactors per vessel, the combined thermal rating is about 300 MWt.
Its fuel is recorded as LEU, the same as 0 of the other 3 aircraft carrier programs with a stated enrichment class.
It entered service in 2001, 25 years ago; the aircraft carrier programs on record entered service between 1961 and 2017, and this one is the 3rd earliest of 4.
| Measure | Charles de Gaulle | Median of aircraft carrier programs | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal power per reactor (MWt) | 150 | 550 | 3 of 3 |
| Entered service | 2001 | 9876001 | 3 of 4 (earliest first) |
Worked out from the entries on this site only, so a figure compares Charles de Gaulle with what is recorded here, not with everything that exists. An entry with no value for a measure is left out of that measure's ranking and median.
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Nuclear-Powered Ships · retrieved 2026-09-07
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data