France's sole aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, has been taken out of commission just months after re-entering service following lengthy repairs, Reuters quoted the French navy as saying today. The carrier, which ran into problems even before it was launched in 2001, could be out of service for weeks, even months, after abnormal wear and tear was detected on two pieces of the propulsion system. "It will take a couple of weeks to get to the exact root of the problem and to come up with an action plan. Repairs could take a few weeks, even a few months," the navy said in a statement. The aircraft carrier only took to the sea again in early December after undergoing repairs and maintenance spanning 18 months. The Charles de Gaulle previously encountered problems with its propulsion mechanism in 2000, when one of its propellers broke down at sea during sea trials ahead of its launch.
