Charles de Gaulle refit and upgrade: An exceptional shipyard project completed on time

The CVN Charles de Gaulle refit and upgrade was completed on 1 December 2008. Prime contractor DCNS conducted this exceptional shipyard project at a sustained pace to complete it on time in just 15 months. The Group successfully coordinated the efforts of its own teams, subcontractors, the ship's crew and Navy fleet maintenance teams.

The main aims were to refurbish the ship and its systems, overhaul and refuel the nuclear reactors, modernise the command information and communication systems, and modify the ship to accommodate new weapon systems scheduled to be introduced in 2009, including Rafale combat aircraft to standard F3 and ASMP-A and Scalp Naval missiles.

"Thanks to flawless industrial organisation, DCNS as prime contractor completed the main refit tasks on time and on budget and without compromising working conditions or safety," says DCNS Executive Vice President & COO Bernard Planchais.

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