From From DefenseNews

 

Charles de Gaulle Carrier Completes Major Overhaul

By pierre tran

Published: 5 Dec 10:29 EST (15:29 GMT)

 

Paris - A 15-month, 300 million euro ($381 million) refit and upgrade of the Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was completed on time and on budget Dec. 1, prime contractor DCNS said in a statement.

 

The major overhaul allowed the refurbishment of the ship and its systems, DCNS said in a Dec. 5 statement. The work included refueling the nuclear reactors, upgrading command and communications systems, and preparing the ship to receive the F3 standard of the Rafale fighter, which will be able to carry the ASMP-A nuclear missile and the Scalp naval cruise missile.

 

"Thanks to flawless industrial organization, DCNS as prime contractor completed the main refit tasks on time and on budget and without compromising working conditions or safety," said Bernard Planchais, DCNS executive vice president and chief operating officer.

 

The refit allowed the two reactor cores to be refueled by subcontractor Areva TA and nuclear safety improved to comply with new civil standards.

 

As part of the refit, the command information system was updated with the new Syracuse 3 satellite terminal, which gives greater bandwidth and boosts high-speed links between ship and aircraft. Over 80 kilometers of new cable was installed to provide IP telephony and Internet access.

 

The catapults, arresting gear and other flight deck systems were overhauled and inspected. The hull was stripped and repainted and the flight deck resurfaced, using environmentally friendly high-pressure water jets, DCNS said. A total of 2.53 million man hours went into the refit, with teams from DCNS, subcontractors, Navy fleet support service and fleet maintenance crews.

 

DCNS has handed the vessel back to the French Navy, which will now bring the ship up to full readiness.

 

The next planned refit of the capital ship is expected around 2015. The French government has delayed a decision to 2011-12 for budgetary reasons on whether to build a second carrier. A budget and contract have been provided to keep a small team of engineers working on plans for a possible sister ship, to prepare for the decision.

A 15-month, 300 million euro ($381 million) refit and upgrade of the Charles de Gaulle nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was completed on time and on budget Dec. 1

 

Wow, will miracles never cease. Too bad most, if not all, of the ours are both late and overbudget.

About the same topic, some interesting reports with good photos:

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109568 (hangar and weapons photos, and a SEM in Afghanistan with an unusual load of assimetrical of 2x GBU-12?)

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109569 (full of aircraft pictures).

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109564 (short history of the french carriers).

From Defense Aerospace

 

French Carrier Charles de Gaulle Back in Port After Propulsion Problems

(Source: defense-aerospace.com; published March 16, 2009)

 

Bad news for the French navy and for DCNS, which carried out the technical availability of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle: the ship was forced to remain at its berth at home-port of Toulon, in southern France (where she will remain for several weeks, if not months), after the navy chief of staff decided to suspend its mission when abnormal wear was found on two mechanical parts driving the propeller shafts.

 

“During recent sorties at sea, strong vibrations were detected in the propulsion compartment. Inspections have shown that two couplings linking two of the ship’s four turbines were abnormally worn,” according to the French navy. As a similar part was found to show similar wear before the ship underwent its IPER refit, no-one can as yet provide an explanation.

 

For the time being, the navy staff, prime contractor DCNS and the Service de Soutien de la Flotte (fleet sustainment department) “are unable to provide a credible explanation for the cause of this issue, and to estimate how much time will be required for repairs,” according to the navy staff.

 

The “Secret Defense” blog says the fault in a reduction gear coupling may be due to a heavier steam dryer being fitted during the ship’s availability, and whose additional weight caused the coupling to wear abnormally. It estimates remedial work at three months.

 

The navy staff and DCNS are to jointly analyze technical data and carry out additional tests, to identify what steps are required and what the consequences are for the ship’s operational schedule. “The ship may have to remain in port for several weeks up to several months,” the navy says.

 

Operational Consequences

 

The ship’s return to port takes place just as it was completing its post-refit work-up phase. Its air group was able to re-qualify for carrier operations, but France’s naval aviation will now be unable to train and qualify a new generation of young carrier pilots for deck landings and take-offs. This is perhaps an even greater problem than the ship’s inability to deploy, and it will create havoc in the navy’s pilot management plans.

More data, schematic of the breakdown, and the feeling of a major damage in the propulsion system ....

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=109763

Pour l'heure, la marine, DCNS et le Service de Soutien de la Flotte ne sont « pas en mesure d'apporter une conclusion fiable sur la cause (de l'avarie) et les délais (de réparation) »/At present, navy, DCNS and the Service of Support of the Fleet «are not capable of bringing a reliable conclusion on reason (of damage) and delays (of repairing)»

Did they ever change the original powerplants out that were supposed to be for a sub?

Did they ever change the original powerplants out that were supposed to be for a sub?

I think the change is tecnically almost impossible, or not cost effective. But the propulsion problem is about the transmission gears, not about the very compact, safe and effective nuclear reactors (not as in the UK subs ...).

Two GEC Alsthom PWR Type K15 reactors in Charles de Gaulle and one in Le Triomphant:

http://www.radiationworks.com/nuclearships.htm#france

http://www.netmarine.net/bat/porteavi/cdg/caracter.htm

http://www.netmarine.net/bat/smarins/triompha/caracter.htm

 

And we can't forget France is a very advanced country in nuclear technology, with 59 civil nuclear plants in service, and

these plants produce 87.5% of both EDF's and France's electrical power production (of which much is exported)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_France

 

At last, Charles de Gaulle operative again in september 2009:

http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=110157

Sorry former army, I consider anything in the engine room as belonging to the powerplant But as a comparison the Nimitz class cariers produce about 2.55 SHP per Ton Fully loaded while the Gaulle is 1.81 of SHP per ton the old Clemencau was capable of an almost 3.8 SHP to ton ratio, of course her lines may have not been as clean but that still gives her at least a 5 knt speed advantage, for launching aircraft that would seem to be important. But again I am just a simple mud lover who likes to play with ships on his puter.

 

I would never put the french down on their electrical grid at home I wish the US didn't have so many tree huggers so we could go nuclear along with all the "Green" energy production we could get rid of 80% of fossil fuel usage for energy in my life time. Besides there are so many other things to talk about when it comes to the french.

 

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1667989 they just know how to live large I need to move.

 

on a side note is she still around http://www.meretmarine.com/lienobjet.cfm?m...4&id=110143 i always liked her lines for some reason