Why This Small Carrier is Most Powerful Outside of the Supercarriers

The French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier is one the world’s most powerful aircraft carriers. Even though she’s a small carrier, approximately 40% smaller than the British Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

What Makes it a Special Aircraft?

The main advantage of the French carrier over the others is that it utilizes Catapult Assisted Take-off Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR.) Aside from American airlines, Charles de Gaulle is the only aircraft in the world equipped with catapults.

Aircraft carriers that don’t have catapults often rely on a ski-jump ramp. The main issue with ramps is that they limit the plane’s take-off weight, restricting the amount of fuel and munitions they can carry. In contrast, catapults allow for launching much heavier and bigger planes. Meaning, that aircraft launched with catapults have more punch since they have a longer range, plus they can carry more weapons.

The Advantage of Catapults in Aircraft Carriers

Charles de Gaulle is the only non-American carrier that launched early warning aircraft such as the E-2C Hawkeye. Without catapults, navies couldn’t launch these types of aircraft since they’re too heavy.

Another huge advantage of catapults is that it allows the Charles de Gaulle to have inoperability with American supercarriers. This makes her the only aircraft carrier in the world that can operate all types of US Navy aircraft such as the C-2 Greyhounds, FA-18s, and E-2D Hawkeyes.

Why the Charles de Gaulle Has More Acceleration in Its Catapults

Charles de Gaulle has a three-wire arresting system, with two deck edge elevators and two catapults. Each elevator can move two aircraft every two minutes. The carrier utilizes two American-built C-13 catapults.

Although they’re technically 246 ft. long, significantly shorter than the 310-foot-long catapults on American supercarriers. Each catapult can slingshot a 25-ton aircraft at 135 knots under 2 seconds. However, since the catapults are shorter they need to accelerate the aircraft faster. That’s the reason why aircraft launched from American supercarriers can experience anywhere between 3 to 4 Gs of acceleration. Meanwhile, Charles de Gaulle can experience 4 to 5 Gs.

Can It Launch and Land Aircraft at the Same Time?

Theoretically, the Charles de Gaulle can launch aircraft every 30 seconds. However, in reality, its maximum sortie rate is 25 aircraft every 4 hours. Unlike American carriers, simultaneous catapulting and recovery are impossible since both catapults extend to the runway.

In terms of landing, the Rafale pilot has just under 300 ft. of runway to go from, 120 knots of speed to a full stop. Usually, this takes around 1.5 seconds and the pilot experiences 4 Gs of deceleration. All in all, the Charles de Gaulle can carry up to 40 aircraft.