I'm no naval engineer, but I have some doubts about the present plan for a 75 000 tons nuclear carrier with naval SCAF on deck.
Makes perfect sense on tecnical grounds: SCAF is larger than Rafale-M while CdG is a bit on the smallish side even for Rafale M and E-2s. Makes some sense to go much larger.
It is financially that it doesn't makes any sense. Waaaaaay too expensive for the French Navy budget, even if only one is build when two would be needed.
As I said in another post, I would be more reassured if tonnage dropped a little and nuclear was abandonned, which would result in a French Q.E except CATOBAR...
...and this bring us back to the 2000's, CVF & PA2.
Why reinvent the wheel ? Start from the Q.E design (less expensive development, including CATOBAR capability) drop nuclear (more money saved)
and this way, return to a TWO carrier fleet.
- like Great Britain presently
- like Foch & Clemenceau back in the day
But the nuclear lobby has spoken, carrier(s) must support the attack / boomer nuclear submarine industry even if
- the same idea already crippled CdG itself (K-15 reactors not well adapted)
- the same idea already crippled a CdG twin (too expensive)
- the same idea led to a break with the British (Q.E not nuclear)
- the carrier being nuclear will make it far more expensive and thus only 1 will be procured
The Q.E seems like an honest-to-God design; CATOBAR variants have been repeatedly studied; France was once involved (CVF, PA2).
I can understand Sarkozy decision in 2008 to stop France involvement in the Q.E: as it would have resulted in a single ship way too different from CdG, including not nuclear.
But only 12 years later, with the Q.E in service and CdG near or past middle-life, why not start again from the basic Q.E design ?
How about a nuclear / CATOBAR / EMALS Q.E ?
I wonder if the future K-22 submarine reactors could do the job.
Or a non-nuclear / CATOBAR / EMALS Q.E ?
(probably not possible, not enough "juice")
I kind of like South Korea way of getting carriers - although the ships are not CATOBAR and too small for France.
Maybe we should draw inspiration from them, and the closest thing to start from would be the British Q.Es. South Korea GDP, population and resources are not that dissimilar to France's... and those parameters are direct influences on a navy financial resources.
And then there is @H_K suggestion here.
I'm left wondering if the best way to wouldn't be
- Q.E hull
- EMALS
- Alternative: licence-built C-13 catapults, "borrowed" from the CdG
- K-22 reactors
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