Charles de Gaulle Refit and Upgrade Completed On Time

TOULON, France --- 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. In engineering terms, the refuelling of the nuclear reactors represented a major first in view of the measures adopted to ensure complete nuclear safety. The industrial organisation was also exemplary as regards the pooling of expertise and skills by all parties, including the Navy, its Fleet Support Service (SSF), the ships crew and an array of subcontractors led by Areva TA, not to mention the Groups own teams. The projects successful completion is a tribute to the professionalism of each and every team and to the Groups capacity to take on the most ambitious challenges, says Bernard Planchais.>> After a refit and upgrade completed in the contractually agreed time of just 15 months, DCNS handed CVN Charles de Gaulle back to the French Navy which will now ramp the ship up to full operational readiness.