Türkiye to outclass France's Charles de Gaulle with its new aircraft carrier — report

Türkiye’s naval capabilities are set to surpass the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle with its new National Aircraft Carrier, French daily Le Figaro has reported.

An article published on Tuesday cited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s official announcement regarding the National Aircraft Carrier project last week at TEKNOFEST, the world’s largest aviation, aerospace and technology festival.

Calling it a “massive project,” Le Figaro said, “The National Aircraft Carrier, which will be 285 metres long, 72 metres wide, and have a displacement of over 60,000 tonnes, will clearly surpass the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (261 metres long, 42,500 tonnes), the flagship of the Mediterranean,” adding that Türkiye aims to make a strong impact on the maritime defence with this new project.

The carrier, MUGEM (the Turkish acronym for National Aircraft Carrier), is expected to be launched in 2027–2028 and to enter service by 2030, carrying fighter jets and advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).

It will be Türkiye’s first domestically designed and constructed aircraft carrier, marking a major step in the nation’s naval capabilities, the report said.

Türkiye part of ‘exclusive’ aircraft carrier club

The MUGEM project aims to bolster Türkiye’s naval presence in the Mediterranean and on the global maritime stage.