The Clemenceau class was France's first successful aircraft carrier design after World War II.

To ensure French independence in defence matters, a new class of two modern fleet carriers was envisaged.

[1] The draft statute prepared by the Naval General Staff in 1949 asked for four aircraft carriers of 20,000 tons to be available in two phases.

At its meeting of 22 August 1949, the Supreme Council of the Navy was even more ambitious where they asked for a six aircraft carrier fleet.

Both Clemenceau and Foch underwent a modernization and refit, replacing 4 of their 8 100mm guns with 2 Crotale air-defense systems.

[4] Designed from the outset as multi-role fleet carriers, the two Clemenceau-class ships initially in 1961 had an air group with ten aircraft each of the IVM attack version and IVP reconnaissance version of the Dassault Étendard IV strike fighter, a squadron of up to eight Breguet Alizé aircraft were embarked for the antisubmarine warfare mission, and in the air-defense role a squadron of Sud Aviation Aquilon (license-built de Havilland Sea Venom) fighters.

[1] The more capable, missile-armed Vought F-8 Crusader was soon deployed, with a squadron of eight aircraft embarked, starting 2 years later from 1963.