Charles de Gaulle
Fuel enrichment
Low-enriched
LEU
Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier operated by Marine nationale, powered by 2 K15 of about 150 MWt each. Operating.
The only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside the United States, and it runs on low-enriched fuel.
Propulsion
| Reactor | K15 |
|---|---|
| Reactors per vessel | 2 |
| Thermal output | 150MWt each |
| Fuel enrichment | Low-enrichedLEU |
| Refuelling | About every 5 years at 25 knots |
Vessel
| Category | aircraft carrier |
|---|---|
| Role | CVN |
| Operator | Marine nationale |
| Country | France |
| Vessels in class | 1 |
| In service from | 2001 |
| Status | Operating |
Other aircraft carriers
| Class | Enrichment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise (CVN-65) | HEU | Retired |
| Gerald R. Ford class | HEU | Operating |
| Nimitz class | HEU | Operating |
Sources
- World Nuclear Association, Nuclear-Powered Ships · retrieved 2026-09-07
How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data