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UK Defence Journal • George Allison

UK MoD says there are no current plans to fit defensive laser weapons to Royal Navy carriers

The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed there are currently no plans to fit defensive laser weapons directly to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, saying the capability is not planned for carrier platforms at present or scheduled for procurement at this time.

2025-12-22T11:45:19.018998-08:00

Reuters

France greenlights PA‑Ng carrier programme; Charles de Gaulle to be replaced from 2038

2025-12-21T07:34:00.612540-08:00

Business Insider

Turkey revises first aircraft carrier to 300 m (984 ft) and begins construction, approaching US Nimitz/Ford-class lengths

2025-12-21T21:50:42.369395-08:00

Aviation Today

Navy and Boeing push MQ-25 Stingray first flight into early 2026

2025-12-18T09:55:19.334950-08:00

News Timeline

UK Defence Journal

UK MoD says there are no current plans to fit defensive laser weapons to Royal Navy carriers The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed there are currently no plans to fit defensive laser weapons directly to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, saying the capability is not planned for carrier platforms at present or scheduled for procurement at this time.

2025-12-22T11:45:19.018998-08:00

UK MoD says there are no current plans to fit defensive laser weapons to Royal Navy carriers

Business Insider

Turkey revises first aircraft carrier to 300 m (984 ft) and begins construction, approaching US Nimitz/Ford-class lengths Turkey has revised its first aircraft carrier to 300 metres (approximately 984 ft) and confirmed construction has begun; the ship will be larger than the Anadolu amphibious assault ship. At that length it approaches the size of US Nimitz- and Ford-class carriers, reshaping Turkey's naval aviation profile.

2025-12-21T21:50:42.369395-08:00

Turkey revises first aircraft carrier to 300 m (984 ft) and begins construction, approaching US Nimitz/Ford-class lengths

Reuters

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France greenlights PA‑Ng carrier programme; Charles de Gaulle to be replaced from 2038 President Emmanuel Macron has authorised France’s next‑generation nuclear‑powered aircraft carrier programme (PA‑Ng) to enter the realization phase, confirming Charles de Gaulle will be replaced from 2038. Macron said the new carrier will house about 30 fighter jets and 2,000 sailors, announcing the decision while visiting troops in the Gulf.

2025-12-21T07:34:00.612540-08:00

France greenlights PA‑Ng carrier programme; Charles de Gaulle to be replaced from 2038

Aviation Today

Navy and Boeing push MQ-25 Stingray first flight into early 2026 The U.S. Navy and Boeing have pushed the MQ-25A Stingray's maiden carrier-based flight-test into early 2026, the government-industry team said, citing continued development and verification work. The delay alters the programme's flight-test schedule while teams report ongoing systems integration and readiness activity.

2025-12-18T09:55:19.334950-08:00

Navy and Boeing push MQ-25 Stingray first flight into early 2026

USNI News

PLA carrier Fujian (CV-18) transits Taiwan Strait for second time as Taipei monitors surge in PLA activity China's PLA Navy carrier Fujian (CV-18) transited the Taiwan Strait this week, a passage Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said was its second through the waterway. Taipei monitored the ship closely, reported an empty flight deck and no observed aircraft, amid a broader surge in PLA air and naval activity.

2025-12-17T09:11:59.186571-08:00

PLA carrier Fujian (CV-18) transits Taiwan Strait for second time as Taipei monitors surge in PLA activity

Stars and Stripes

USS Nimitz returns to Bremerton ahead of scheduled decommissioning After nearly 50 years since she first set sail, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) has arrived at Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton for the final time; the ship will enter scheduled decommissioning next year, closing five decades of U.S. carrier operations.

2025-12-15T16:21:55.701910-08:00

USS Nimitz returns to Bremerton ahead of scheduled decommissioning

defence-blog.com

Satellite imagery indicates China has begun building its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Analysis of commercial satellite imagery by a Japanese think tank indicates China may have started construction of its first nuclear-powered supercarrier at a major northeastern shipyard; imagery shows ship blocks and infrastructure consistent with a large carrier hull, a step that would broaden Beijing’s carrier endurance and operational reach.

2025-12-15T07:10:48.057491-08:00

Satellite imagery indicates China has begun building its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

nationalsecurityjournal.org

U.S. Navy’s Carrier Edge: Decades of Flight‑Deck Experience versus China’s New Carriers The U.S. carrier advantage lies less in hull count than in institutional flight‑deck experience — decades of launch and recovery cycles, night traps in bad weather and sustained high‑tempo operations honed in war and deployment. That operational 'muscle memory' shapes sortie generation, resilience and combat readiness against newer Chinese carriers.

2025-12-14T16:28:20.925455-08:00

U.S. Navy’s Carrier Edge: Decades of Flight‑Deck Experience versus China’s New Carriers

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Aircraft Carrier News

UK MoD says there are no current plans to fit defensive laser weapons to Royal Navy carriers

France greenlights PA‑Ng carrier programme; Charles de Gaulle to be replaced from 2038

Turkey revises first aircraft carrier to 300 m (984 ft) and begins construction, approaching US Nimitz/Ford-class lengths

Navy and Boeing push MQ-25 Stingray first flight into early 2026

News Timeline