List of aircraft carriers of France explained

The following is a list of aircraft carriers of France. Fifteen aircraft carriers have served the navy or been proposed since the 1910s.

As of, one French carrier—Charles de Gaulle (R91)—remains in service of the French government.

Key

Aircraft	The number of aircraft carried
Displacement	Ship displacement at full combat load
Propulsion	Number of shafts, type of propulsion system, and top speed generated
Service	The dates work began and finished on the ship and its ultimate fate
Laid down	The date the keel began to be assembled
Commissioned	The date the ship was commissioned

Seaplane carriers

Foudre

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Foudre (converted torpedo boat tender)	4	6100abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	24 boilers, triple expansion engines, 2 shafts	9 June 1892	1896 (1912 as carrier)	align= left	Decommissioned on 1 December 1921 and scrapped

Commandant Teste

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Commandant Teste	26	12134abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	4 water-tube boilers, 2 geared steam turbines, 2 shafts	6 September 1927	18 April 1932	align= left	Scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 Sold for scrap on 15 May 1950

Escort carriers

Avenger class

See main article: Avenger-class escort carrier.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Dixmude (A609) (ex-HMS Biter, ex-Rio Parana)	15-21	9100abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	4 diesel engines, 1 shaft	28 December 1939	9 April 1945 (as Dixmude)	align= left	Returned to the USN on 17 June 1966, sunk in exercise "Deep Six" the next day^[1]

Fleet carriers

Béarn

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Béarn (converted Normandie class)	35-40	28900abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	2 reciprocating steam engines, 2 Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 shafts	10 January 1914	May 1927	align= left	Sold for scrap on 31 May 1967

Joffre class

See main article: Joffre-class aircraft carrier.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Joffre	40	20000abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	8 water-tube boilers, 2 geared Parsons steam turbine sets, 2 shafts	18 November 1938		align= left	Scrapped
align= left	Painlevé			align= left				Cancelled

Independence class

See main article: Independence-class aircraft carrier.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Bois Belleau (R97) (ex-USS Belleau Wood)	33	15300abbr=onNaNabbr=on^[2]	align= left	Steam turbines, 4 propellers	11 August 1941	5 September 1953 (as Bois Belleau)	align= left	Returned to the USN in September 1960
align= left	La Fayette (R96) (ex-USS Langley)	33	15300abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	Steam turbines, 4 propellers	11 April 1942	1951 (as La Fayette)	align= left	Returned to the USN in March 1963

Colossus class

See main article: Colossus-class aircraft carrier.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Arromanches (R95) (ex-HMS Colossus)	48	18300abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared turbines, 2 shafts	1 June 1942	August 1946 (as Arromanches)	align= left	Decommissioned on 22 Jan 1974 Scrapped 1978

Clemenceau class

See main article: Clemenceau-class aircraft carrier.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Clemenceau (R98)	40	32780abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	6 Indret boilers, 4 steam turbines, 2 shafts	November 1955	22 November 1961	align= left	Decommissioned on 1 October 1997 Scrapped 2009
align= left	Foch (R99)	40	32800abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	6 Indret boilers, 4 steam turbines, 2 shafts	15 November 1957	15 July 1963	align= left	Decommissioned on 15 November 2000 and transferred to Brazil as São Paulo

Verdun

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Verdun	Unknown	45000abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	Steam turbines, 4 shafts			align= left	Cancelled 1961

Charles de Gaulle

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Charles de Gaulle (R91)	28-40	42500t	align= left	2 K15 pressurised water reactors (PWR), 4 diesel-electric, 2 shafts	14 April 1989	18 May 2001	align= left	In service

PA 2

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	PA 2	40	75000t	align= left	2 RR MT-30 gas turbines, 4 diesel-electric engines, shafts			align= left	Cancelled 2013

PA-NG

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	PA-NG	40+	75000t	align= left	2 × K22 pressurised water reactors (PWR), 220 MW (300,000 hp) each		2038?	align= left	Preliminary design work

Helicopter carriers

Jeanne d'Arc

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Jeanne d'Arc (R97) (ex-La Résolue)	4-8	13270abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	Four 10,000 horsepower (7.5 MW) power plants with automatic heating	1959	16 July 1964	align= left	Decommissioned on 1 September 2010

PH 75

See main article: PH 75.

- valign="top"	Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service
Laid down					Commissioned	Fate
align= left	Unknown	25	18400abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	CAS-230 nuclear reactor, 2 shafts			align= left	Cancelled 1981
align= left	Unknown	25	18400abbr=onNaNabbr=on	align= left	CAS-230 nuclear reactor, 2 shafts			align= left	Cancelled 1981

See also

• List of active French Navy ships
• List of aircraft carriers
• List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
• List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
• List of aircraft carriers by country

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2 September 2015. U.S. Navy. Biter.
2. Web site: 2 September 2015. NavSource Naval history. USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-22).