The flagship of the French naval forces. The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier built outside the United States. The most powerful and perfect warship in Europe. The true lord of the sea. All this is the true pride of the French sailors of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91). Invincible Poseidon, capable of crushing the enemy on the surface of the earth, water and airspace within a radius of thousands of kilometers!
40 combat aircraft and helicopters, guided missile weapons (four 8-charge UVP modules for firing Aster-15 anti-aircraft missiles, two Sadral self-defense missile systems). A unique set of detection equipment: 6 radars of various ranges and purposes, the VAMPIR-NG search and tracking system (IR range), a full set of radio interception and electronic warfare equipment.
Combat information and control system "Zenith-8", capable of simultaneously identifying, classifying and taking up to 2000 targets for tracking. 25 computer terminals, 50 communication channels, satellite communication systems Inmarsat and Syracuse Fleetsacom - the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier brilliantly copes with the role of the flagship of the naval strike group.
500 tons of aviation ammunition, 3400 tons of aviation kerosene. A full-fledged air group, including Rafale fighter-bombers, Super Etandar attack aircraft, E-2 Hawkeye early warning and control systems, multipurpose, anti-submarine and search and rescue helicopters Aerospatial Dolphin and Cougar - up to 40 aircraft units located on the flight and hangar decks.
Two onboard aircraft lifts with a carrying capacity of 36 tons. Two steam catapults C-13F (similar to the systems installed on the American "Nimitz") - each of them is capable of accelerating a 25-ton aircraft to a speed of 200 km / h. The rate of release of aircraft from the de Gaulle deck is 2 aircraft per minute. The rate of reception of aircraft, in theory, allows you to safely land up to 20 aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier in 12 minutes. The only limitation is that the size and design of the flight deck does not allow for simultaneous take-off and landing of aircraft.
The French engineers are especially proud of the SATRAP (Système Automatique de TRAnquilization et de Pilotage) ship's automatic stabilization system - 12 expansion joints in the form of blocks weighing 22 tons each, moving along special chutes on the gallery deck. The system, controlled by a central computer, compensates for various wind loads, roll, roll when turning, constantly holding the ship in the correct position - this allows takeoff and landing operations at sea waves up to 6 points.
Bridge
The total displacement of the gigantic ship reaches 42,000 tons. The flight deck is a quarter of a kilometer long. Crew - 1350 sailors + 600 air wing people.
The fantastic design plows the sea at a speed of 27 knots (50 km / h). One recharge of the reactors is enough for continuous operation for 6 years - during this time "de Gaulle" manages to cover a distance equivalent to 12 lengths of the Earth's Equator. At the same time, the real autonomy of the ship (in terms of food supplies, aviation fuel and ammunition) does not exceed 45 days.
Aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle! A beautiful, strong and charismatic ship. The only drawback: de Gaulle spent most of his 13-year service in … repair docks.
France plans to decommission its newest aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle. Instead of de Gaulle, the French Navy will acquire a new British-built Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. The reason for the shocking and unexpected decision is the countless problems and malfunctions revealed during the first years of the operation of the French aircraft carrier. (Original phrase - "The new French nuclear carrier" Charles de Gaulle "has suffered from a seemingly endless string of problems").
- website https://www.strategypage.com, news from December 5, 2003
What could be the real reason for that disgusting situation in which a completely new ship, which entered service just two years before the events described (May 18, 2001), almost ended up scrapping?
The French are experienced shipbuilders who have amazed the world more than once with their wonderful creations (without any irony). The legendary submarine artillery cruiser "Surkuf" is a true technological miracle of the 1930s. Modern stealth frigates Lafayette and Horizon. The Mistral amphibious assault ships are unique in their own way - thanks to their modular design, a huge "box" is being built in just a couple of years! France is well acquainted with nuclear technology - the submarine component of the French Navy is equipped with high-class equipment of its own design: nuclear submarines Triumfan, Barracuda, submarine-based ballistic missiles M45, M51. All weapons meet the best international standards.
France is one of the recognized world leaders in the development of marine detection, control and communication systems: radars and sensor systems, BIUS, thermal imagers, communications. There is simply nothing to blame the French for.
French shipbuilders are no strangers to the development and construction of aircraft carrier ships: back in the middle of the last century, the French Navy adopted two Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers - one of which, Sao Paulo (formerly Foch), is still in service. in the Brazilian Navy. Solid ships for their time, whose displacement and dimensions were close to the characteristics of the modern "de Gaulle".
And suddenly - an unexpected failure! How could this happen? Could malfunctions and "childhood diseases", which any design have, could have such a negative impact on the fate of the new French aircraft carrier?
"Childhood diseases" is a poor word. The problems with the operation of de Gaulle became a real disaster for the French Navy.
Ships die without a fight
The fate of Charles de Gaulle began in 1989, when the bottom section of the future aircraft carrier was laid at the DCNS shipyard in Brest. At first, everything went quite well: just 5 years after the laying, in May 1994, the largest warship ever built in France was solemnly launched in the presence of President François Mitterrand. In the summer of the same year, reactors were installed on the aircraft carrier. Saturation of the building with high-tech equipment began. But the further the work progressed, the more difficult it became to keep the project on schedule.
The extraordinary abundance of systems and mechanisms on board the ship led to an incessant series of changes being made, which delayed the already time-consuming process of building a huge aircraft carrier. For example, in accordance with the new European radiation safety standards, the reactor protection and cooling system had to be completely redesigned - all this is already on an almost finished ship. In 1993, an international spy scandal erupted - shipyard employees were suspected of having links with British intelligence MI6.
The French Parliament regularly obstructed the construction of the aircraft carrier, cutting funds to finance this "extremely important" defense program. The day came when the work at the shipyard was completely stopped (1990) - this situation was repeated many times in 1991, 1993 and 1995, as a result, "Charles de Gaulle" finally turned into a long-term construction.
It is obvious that the basing of 40 aircraft on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is in reality impossible. Half of the aircraft is left to rust on the upper deck, where wind, humidity and the scorching sun will quickly render them completely unusable. On average, an aircraft carrier carries 20 combat aircraft, a couple of AWACS and several turntables
According to official data, the ship took about 10 years to build and cost the French taxpayers $ 3.3 billion - slightly less than the cost of an American supercarrier of the Nimitz class ($ 4.5 … 5 billion at the end of the 1990s).
But the real tragicomedy began after a series of sea trials and test landings of aircraft on the deck of a ship in 1999.
Constant vibrations, malfunctions in the reactor cooling system, poor-quality coating of the flight deck. It suddenly turned out that the designers made a mistake in calculating the required runway length - for the safe landing of the E-2 Hawkeye AWACS, it was urgently required to lengthen the flight deck by 4 meters.
Work on the elimination of defects took a year, finally, on October 4, 2000, "Charles de Gaulle" arrived under its own power at the naval base of Toulon.
Testing of new technology began urgently - the de Gaulle's crew was formed back in 1997 and patiently waited for their ship for three years. A few days later, the aircraft carrier left its home port and went on a friendly visit to the shores of the United States, to the Norfolk naval base.
Alas, it was not possible to get to the shores of America that time - during training maneuvers in the Caribbean, the blade of the right propeller fell off. The aircraft carrier returned to Toulon on a three-node course. The investigation showed that the cause of the accident was (well, who would have thought!) Poor-quality manufacturing of parts.
- Who made the screws?
- Firm "Atlantic Industries".
- Submit these scoundrels here!
- Monsieur, Atlantic Industries no longer exists …
A dumb scene.
The problem was that Atlantic Industries disappeared without a trace, not only with the fee for the unfairly executed contract, but, much worse, with all the documentation for the manufacture of screws. And to design and manufacture 19-ton ingots from copper, iron, manganese, nickel and aluminum with double curvature surfaces is not an easy task (and not cheap). As a temporary measure, propellers from the decommissioned aircraft carrier Clemenceau were installed on the ship. The de Gaulle's speed decreased to 24 … 25 knots, while the entire aft part was unsuitable for the life and work of the crew - vibration and noise reached 100 dB.
Almost the entire next year, the aircraft carrier spent in repairs, on tests and sea trials. However, at the end of May 2001, Charles de Gaulle found the strength to get out of the dock and take part in the Golden Trident naval exercise. The result of the 10-day maneuvers was the scandal around the Rafal M fighters - it turned out that the aircraft supplied to the fleet were not suitable for deck-based deployment. The entire first batch of promising fighters was decisively rejected.
But this is only the beginning of an anecdote called "Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier".
In December 2001, "de Gaulle" launched its first military campaign in the Arabian Sea. The task is to provide air support for Operation Long-term Freedom on the territory of Afghanistan. During the cruise, the deck attack aircraft "Super Etandar" carried out 140 sorties over Central Asia with a duration of up to 3000 km. As for the newest Rafals, the chronicle of their combat use is contradictory: according to some sources, the fighters struck several strikes on the positions of the Taliban militants. According to other sources, there were no combat missions - the Rafali only participated in joint exercises with the US Navy carrier-based aircraft.
In any case, the role of "Charles de Gaulle" in the war was purely symbolic - all the work was done by American aviation, which flew ten thousand combat and support missions over the territory of Afghanistan. Realizing his own worthlessness, "de Gaulle" tried to leave the theater of operations whenever possible, and while the American planes were destroying the Afghan mountains, the French aircraft carrier arranged photo sessions in the ports of Singapore and Oman.
In July 2002, de Gaulle returned to the naval base Toulon. The trip was successful, except that due to a radiation accident on board, the aircraft carrier's crew received five times the radiation dose.
The French had enough impressions for a long time - all the next three years, "de Gaulle" did not make long trips. The aircraft carrier returned to the Indian Ocean only in 2005. The cheerful French were clearly not happy with the prospect of flying under Dushman bullets and Stinger missiles - as a result, de Gaulle took part in joint exercises with the Indian Navy under the code designation Varuna, after which he hurried back to the base in Toulon.
2006 followed a similar scenario - after which the X-hour came. The reactor core was completely burnt out and needed to be replaced. The sea element badly battered the ship, the red-hot exhaust of jet engines melted the flight deck, part of the auxiliary equipment was out of order - the aircraft carrier needed a major overhaul.
In September 2007, de Gaulle entered dry dock, from where it did not leave until the end of 2008. The 15-month repair with reloading of the reactor cost France 300 million euros. The unfortunate aircraft carrier was finally returned to its native propellers, modernized radio electronics, laid 80 km of electrical cables, updated catapults and aerofinishers, and expanded the range of aviation ammunition.
Glittering with fresh paint, the aircraft carrier arrived at the Toulon naval base, and three months later it was safely out of order. The ship was again undergoing repairs throughout 2009.
Finally, by 2010, the main defects were eliminated, and intensive preparation of the ship for new exploits began. Ahead - long and dangerous trips to the other end of the Earth, new wars and great victories. October 14, 2010 a detachment of warships of the French Navy, led by the flagship "Charles de Gaulle" set off on another mission to the Indian Ocean.
The trip lasted exactly one day - a day after the aircraft carrier was launched, the entire power supply system went out of order.
After an emergency two-week repair, "de Gaulle" nevertheless found the strength to go along the chosen route and spent 7 months in distant latitudes. An incredible result, considering all the previous "achievements" of the aircraft carrier.
In March 2011, sensational news went around the world media - a French aircraft carrier was moving to the shores of Libya. Another attempt by de Gaulle to prove its necessity went to a full house - carrier-based aircraft flew hundreds of combat missions as part of providing a "no-fly zone" over Libya. Rafale multi-role fighters launched a series of strikes against ground targets, using a total of 225 precision AASM ammunition. After working for about 5 months in the conflict zone, Charles de Gaulle returned to Toulon in early August 2011. For the next repair.
Probably, a few "touches" should be added to the history of this campaign. The de Gaulle air group consisted of 16 combat aircraft (10 Rafale M and 6 Super Etandar). At the same time, to deliver attacks on Libya, the NATO command attracted more than 100 strike vehicles, among which there were such "monsters" as B-1B and F-15E "Strike Eagle".
The "invaluable" contribution of the aircraft carrier to this military operation becomes evident. And the cost of each of the 225 dropped AASM bombs (taking into account the cost of maintaining the "floating airfield") has become simply astronomical - it would be cheaper to shoot a laser from an orbital combat station.
2012 did not bring noticeable success - "Charles de Gaulle" periodically went out to the Mediterranean to train deck pilots, whiling away the rest of the time in endless repairs.
In the near future (roughly - 2015), the aircraft carrier expects another "capital" with the recharging of the reactor.
Diagnosis
The misfortunes that follow the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier have only one reason - the ship's overly complex structure, aggravated by its cyclopean dimensions. All this leads to an irreparable loss of reliability. Thousands of mechanisms, millions of parts - every second on a ship one of the structural elements must break. One of the critical objects periodically fails - and then an avalanche-like increase in technical problems begins, leading to a complete loss of the ship's combat capability.
Unlike conventional missile and artillery warships, the aircraft carrier has to work with 20-ton objects (aircraft) that constantly move around the upper deck and the interior of the ship, periodically accelerating to 250 km / h (Rafal's landing speed). Hence - 260 meter deck, catapults, aerofinishers, optical landing system, mighty lifts and power equipment.
Aircraft are an increased source of danger: to neutralize the hot exhaust of jet engines, tens of kilometers of cooling pipes have to be laid under the flight deck - coupled with powerful pumps. Constant work with fire hazardous and explosive substances, which, unlike a missile cruiser or submarine, are usually scattered literally at every step - all this leaves its mark on the design of the aircraft carrier (special measures for storing fuel, fire safety, ammunition elevators). A separate item is a power plant of colossal power with an energy take-off system for feeding the catapults.
UVP with Aster-15 missiles. In the background is an optical landing aid system.
Finally, self-defense systems. In the case of a French aircraft carrier, its built-in armament matches a frigate or small destroyer. Plus - an obligatory set of means of tracking, detection, communication and control. However, everything is just fine here - electronics brings a minimum of problems, unlike moving mechanical parts (power plant, catapults, etc.).
All of the above factors are multiplied by the gigantism of the mechanisms and the terrible size of the ship. The result is obvious.
In the form in which a modern aircraft carrier exists, this is madness. And nothing can be fixed here - the dimensions and landing speeds of the aircraft are too large. But the most important thing is that these days there is simply no need for “floating airfields”.
The French are not the only ones who have fallen into this trap, seeking to emphasize the prestige of their country. The Americans, who have 10 nuclear aircraft carriers, can simultaneously deploy no more than 4-5 battle groups - the rest of the ships are docked with their hulls torn apart. Extremely low reliability - "Nimitz" is literally "pouring" in front of our eyes. Constant problems. Endless renovation.
The French knew about this, therefore they planned to build 2 de Gaulle-class aircraft carriers - if one of them breaks down at the most crucial moment, another should come to the rescue. Naturally, all plans for the construction of a "backup" collapsed, as soon as the results of the service of the lead ship became known.
P. S. For 2013, the French defense budget (the so-called Livre Blanc) indicates a refusal to further cooperation with Great Britain in the framework of the creation of a joint aircraft carrier. In the near future, France is not planning to build aircraft carrier ships.
