via Military Update Charles De Gaulle: France’s Only Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Is No Joke France’s first carrier entered service during the interwar period, but for a very long time, the French navy trailed behind its international counterparts in naval aviation. This changed in the Cold War, however, and today France operates the world’s most advanced carrier outside of the U.S. Navy. How did France build its naval aviation force, what does it do today and what direction will France take next?