France is building Europe's largest warship - a project worth billions!

France is building Europe's largest warship - a project worth billions!

On December 21, 2025, President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision for the Porte-Avions Nouvelle Generation (PANG) program at a military base in Abu Dhabi. The planned warship will be the largest ever built in Europe and is expected to significantly strengthen France's military and industrial capacity. The estimated cost of the project is 10.25 billion euros. The aim of this investment is also to promote small and medium-sized companies within French industry. According to the Small newspaper The new aircraft carrier is scheduled to enter service in 2038, coinciding with the expected retirement of the existing carrier “Charles de Gaulle.”

The "Charles de Gaulle", which has been the French Navy's only aircraft carrier since its commissioning on May 18, 2001, has impaired France's operational capability with repeated maintenance periods. To close the gap, the PA2 project was initiated in 2003, but was suspended in 2009. The PANG project was only announced at the end of 2020, based on the experience and technical challenges of previous programs. This development could further consolidate France's defense position in Europe, as France is one of the few European countries with aircraft carriers, along with Great Britain, Italy and Spain. In comparison, the US has eleven aircraft carriers and China has three.

Economic stimulus through defense investments

The announced defense investments could not only improve France's military strength, but also generate significant economic stimulus. A study by EY shows that European NATO countries invest 72 billion euros in armaments every year, which secures around 680,000 jobs. Expanding defense spending to 3 percent of gross domestic product could even create an additional 65 billion euros and around 660,000 jobs. These investments are critical to closing security gaps and increasing independence from the United States.

What is particularly noteworthy is that every euro spent on defense generates approximately twice as much economic activity. The defense sector urgently needs new production capacity and many companies face financing challenges. An increase in defense spending could therefore also have positive spillover effects in other sectors. According to the EY study Future defense investments could result in sales of 577 billion euros, with 430 billion euros earmarked for military equipment.

The announced entry into service of the PANG in 2038 marks a significant turning point in France's defense strategy and could further cement the country's role as a leading military power in Europe. But amid ongoing discussions over state finances, some MPs are calling for the project to be postponed, which could jeopardize the government's long-term plans.