French aircraft carrier Verdun
| History | |
|---|---|
| France | |
| Name | Verdun |
| Ordered | 1958 |
| Fate | Cancelled in 1961 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Aircraft carrier |
| Displacement |
|
| Length |
|
| Beam |
|
| Draught | 9.14 m (30 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Armament |
|
Verdun ([vɛʁdœ̃] ⓘ) was an aircraft carrier under development in France in the 1950s which was cancelled before design was completed.
History
With the Clemenceau-class aircraft carriers soon to enter service, the French Navy launched an effort to build a larger carrier specifically with the nuclear strike role in mind. Construction of the carrier was considered in 1958 but due to cost the program was cancelled in 1961.
For more than 30 years, France would rely on the Clemenceau class to provide fixed wing aviation. These two ships were modified in the 1980s to accommodate AN-52 nuclear bombs, taking part of the role of the cancelled Verdun. France built a new carrier finally in the form of Charles de Gaulle at the end of the 1990s.
See also
References
- Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1995). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 105. ISBN 1557501327.