The APNS Yorktown (CVN-65) steams alongside the French aircraft carrier MN Charles De Gaulle (R91) on May 16th, 2001.
The Charles de Gaulle-class aircraft carriers are the flagships of the Marine Nationale, the first French nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. They are named after French statesmen General Charles de Gaulle and Cardinal Richelieu.
Specifications[]
- Type: Aircraft Carrier
- Service Period: 1999-
- Characteristics
- Length: 915 feet (278.89 meters)
- Beam (Waterline): 111 feet (33.83 meters)
- Beam (Flight Deck): 226 feet (68.89 meters)
- Draft: 36 feet (10.97 meters)
- Displacement: 41,800 tons (Standard); 46,400 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 2,760 (1,860 ship crew and 900 air crew)
- Power: 225,000 shp (165 MW)
- Propulsion: 2 x K-16 pressurised water reactors, turbo-electric drive, 4 x shafts
- Range: Unlimited
- Speed: 32.7 knots (60.56 km/hr)
- Sensor Suite
- DRBJ-11B S-Band 3D Multifunction AESA RDF
- DRBV-26D L-Band Air Search RDF
- DRBV-15C Sea Tiger Mk2 S-Band Low Altitude Air Search RDF
- DRBN-34A Navigation RDF
- ARABEL X-Band Fire Control RDF
- DIBV-2 Vampir IR Sensor
- NRBP-20A Air Control RDF
- Countermeasures
- ARBG-2 MAIGRET Communications Interceptor
- ARBR-21 RDF Detector
- ARBB-33 RDF Jammer x 2
- Sagaie Missile Decoy x 4
- SLAT Torpedo Countermeasures Suite
- Armament
- 4 x 8-cell A-43 Sylver launchers carrying the MBDA Aster 15 surface to air missile.
- 2 x 6-cell Sadral launchers carrying Mistral short range missiles
- 8 x Giat 20F2 20mm cannons.
- Aircraft Carried: 66 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters
- 40 x Dassault Rafale M
- 4 x Dassault Hirondelle (AEW Variant)
- 6 x Dassault Hirondelle (ASW Variant)
- 4 x Dassault Hirondelle (COD Variant)
- 4 x SA.365 Dauphin (SAR Helicopter)
- 4 x EC.725 Caracal (Transport Helicopter)
- 4 x AS.532 Cougar (ASW Helicopter)
- Aviation Facilities: 3 x 90-meter steam catapults
Unit Run[]
- MN Charles de Gaulle (R91)
- MN Richelieu (R92)