Some accounts place the first carrier discussions in 1973 or 1974, while about 1975 is used here for the move towards a concrete programme. Laying down in April 1989 and commissioning in May 2001 meant more than twelve years under construction and roughly 26 years from initial planning to service. Governments, defence ministers, admirals, and senior engineers changed during that period, and the Cold War ended around a design conceived for it. Foch and Clemenceau had entered service in the early 1960s, and successor planning was already taking shape within about thirteen years. That orderly planning cycle still depended on sustained funding and continuity through construction.
Notable Point · 3:20-6:39
A carrier programme spanning 26 years and several strategic eras
The long path from mid-1970s planning to a 2001 commission shows how a capital-ship programme can outlive governments, senior personnel, and the strategic world for which it was conceived.