List_of_aircraft_carriers

List of aircraft carriers

List of aircraft carriers

Add article description

This list of aircraft carriers contains aircraft carriers listed alphabetically by name. An aircraft carrier is a warship with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft, that serves as a seagoing airbase.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
  Countries currently operating fixed-wing aircraft carriers (10)
  Countries currently operating solely helicopter carriers (6)
  Historical operators of carriers (3)
Various aircraft carriers from around the world
Four modern aircraft carriers of various types; USS John C. Stennis (United States Navy), Charles de Gaulle (French Navy), USS John F. Kennedy (US Navy), HMS Ocean (Royal Navy) and escort vessels, 2002
Bow view of the US Navy's USS Gerald R. Ford, lead ship of her class, the largest carrier in the world.
HMS Queen Elizabeth, the newest and largest aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy.

Included in this list are ships which meet the above definition and had an official name (italicized) or designation (non-italicized), regardless of whether they were or were not ordered, laid down, completed, or commissioned.

Not included in this list are the following:

"In commission" denotes the period that the ship was officially in commission with the given name for the given country as an aircraft carrier as defined above.

Numbers of aircraft carriers by country

The table below does not include submarine aircraft carriers, seaplane tenders, escort carriers, merchant aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, or amphibious assault ships
The total includes ships under construction, but not ships that never got past the planning stage.
More information Country, In service ...

List of countries that have operated aircraft carriers

Argentina

Retired:

Australia

Retired:

Brazil

Retired:

Canada

Retired:

China

Main article: Chinese aircraft carrier programme

Active:

  • Liaoning: partially completed ex-Soviet Navy carrier sold to China by Ukraine and refitted in Dalian as Type 001. Handed over to PLAN on 23 September 2012 and entered active service on 25 September 2012.[1]
  • Shandong: construction started in 2013, launched in 2017, and entered active service on 17 December 2019.[2]

Fitting-out & Seatrials

  • Fujian: Type 003 carrier. Launched 17 June 2022. In January 2024, the Fujian was carrying out mooring tests in preparation for its maiden voyage.[3]

Under construction & Planned:

France

Active:

Planned:

  • PANG: a planned nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

Retired:

Never completed:

  • Engageante: Friponne-class sloop planned for conversion but not completed[4]
  • Conquerante: Valliante-class sloop planned for conversion but not completed[4]
  • Joffre class
    • Joffre: carrier construction cancelled in 1940
    • Painlevé: carrier plan cancelled in 1940
  • Verdun: attack carrier development cancelled in 1961
  • PH 75: projected two nuclear powered helicopter carrier program during the 1970s
    • Bretagne: STOVL aircraft carrier
    • Provence: STOVL aircraft carrier
  • PA 2: modified version of Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class (formerly CVF).

Germany

Main article: List of aircraft carriers of Germany

Never completed:

  • German aircraft carrier I  – planned conversion of passenger ship from German shipyard to aircraft carrier. Cancelled in 1918.
  • Graf Zeppelin: Graf Zeppelin-class carrier. Launched but not completed. Construction work stopped in 1943.
  • Flugzeugträger B: Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled partly constructed in 1939.
  • Flugzeugträger C: Planned Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled in 1938.[5]
  • Flugzeugträger D: Planned Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled in 1938.[5]
  • Seydlitz: conversion of part-built Admiral Hipper-class cruiser. Work stopped in 1943 and not resumed.
  • German aircraft carrier I: conversion of the transport ship Europa cancelled at the design stage in November 1942 due to insurmountable problems.
  • Jade: Lead ship of the Jade-class. Converted from the passenger liner SS Potsdam. Laid down in 1934 but never completed. Sunk on 2 May 1943.[6]
  • Elbe: Converted from the passenger liner SS Gneisenau (1935). Laid down in 1934 but never completed. Survived the war but was seized by Great Britain on the 20 of June 1946.[6]
  • German aircraft carrier II: was a proposed conversion project for the incomplete French cruiser De Grasse. The ship was laid down in November 1938 and lay incomplete in the Arsenal de Lorient shipyard when Germany invaded France in May 1940. In 1942, Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine decided to convert the cruiser into an auxiliary aircraft carrier with a capacity for twenty-three fighters and dive bombers. Work ceased in February 1943, however, due to concerns with the ship's design, a severe shortage of material and labor, and the threat of Allied bombing raids. In 1945, the ship was returned to France and was eventually completed as an anti-aircraft cruiser in 1956 by the French Navy[7]

The two planned Italian carriers Aquila and Sparviero were seized by the Germans after the Italian Armistice but not completed.

India

Active:

Planned:

  • INS Vishal: 65,000 ton carrier. Yet to start, planned to enter service in 2030. It will be conventionally powered.[10]

Retired:

Italy

Active:

Under construction:

Never completed:

  • Sparviero (1927) (converted liner Augustus, not completed as carrier) – Sunk 5 October 1944
  • Aquila (1926) (converted liner Roma) – BU 1951–1952

Japan

Active:[12][13][14]

  • Izumo class
    • Izumo – Commissioned in 2015. Announced in December 2018 to be redesignated and converted into a multi-purpose destroyer to carry F-35 aircraft
    • Kaga – Commissioned in 2017. Announced in December 2018 to be redesignated and converted into a multi-purpose destroyer to carry F-35 aircraft

Retired:

  • Hōshō (1921) – used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and dismantled 1946
  • Ryūhō (1933) – damaged at Kure by U.S. air raid March 1945 and dismantled 1946
  • Kaiyō (1943) – damaged at Kure by U.S. air raid March 1945, grounded in Beppu Bay and dismantled in place in 1946
  • Hiyō class
    • Jun'yō (1939) – damaged during Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944. Never repaired; dismantled 1946
  • Unryū class
    • Katsuragi (1944) – used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and dismantled 1946

Sunk:

Hōshō, Jun'yō, Katsuragi, and Ryūhō survived the war. These were scrapped by 1948.

Never completed:

  • Amagi class
    • Amagi (not completed); damaged beyond economical repair in the Great Kantō earthquake of September 1923, scrapped 1924
  • Taihō class
    • 5x Improved Taihō, project G-15 (cancelled 1944)
  • Unryū class
    • Hull 5002, 3rd unit of Unryū class (cancelled 1943); materials used for Shinano conversion
    • Kasagi, 5th unit of Unryū class (not completed); dismantled post-war
    • Hull 5005, 6th unit of Unryū class (cancelled 1943); materials used for Shinano conversion
    • Aso, 7th unit of Unryū class (not completed); sunk as weapon test target and scrapped postwar
    • Ikoma, 8th unit of Unryū class (not completed); dismantled post-war
    • Kurama, 9th unit of Unryū class (cancelled 1944)
  • Ibuki – heavy cruiser conversion (not completed); dismantled post-war

Netherlands

Retired:

  • Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British HMS Venerable, purchased 1948) – Sold to Argentina 1968 and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, broken up
  • Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British HMS Nairana, transferred to Dutch service 1946) – Converted to merchantman and renamed Port Victor, Until March 1968, owned by Cunard Line but managed by Blue Star Port Lines. Eventually owned by Port Line, 21 July 1971, sent to Faslane to be scrapped
  • Rapana class:
    • Motor vessel Gadila of the Dutch Merchant Navy was a converted Royal Dutch Shell oil tanker along with her sister ship MV Macoma.
    • Motor vessel Macoma together with MV Gadila were the first Dutch aircraft carriers.

Russia (& USSR)

See also: list of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union

The Russian Navy was established in December 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR), most Soviet aircraft carriers were transferred over to Russia (with the exception of Varyag which was transferred to Ukraine. Ulyanovsk was scrapped before the Soviet Union was dissolved).

Active:

Retired:

  • Kiev class
    • Kiev (Russia: 1991–1993, USSR: 1972–1991); converted to a theme park (later hotel) in China
    • Minsk (Russia: 1991–1993, USSR: 1975–1991); converted to a theme park in China
    • Novorossiysk (Russia: 1991–1993, USSR: 1978–1991); scrapped
    • Admiral Gorshkov (Russia: 1991–1995, USSR: 1982–1991); sold to India, modified, rebuilt by India and renamed INS Vikramaditya

Never completed:

  • Kuznetsov class
    • Varyag (not commissioned) — to Ukraine (1991); rebuilt, tested and commissioned by the Chinese PLAN as Liaoning
  • Ulyanovsk class
    • Ulyanovsk (not commissioned) — scrapped (1991)

Spain

Active:

  • Juan Carlos I : 27,079 tonne STOVL carrier in active service, commissioned 30 September 2010.

Retired:

Never completed:

Thailand

Role changed:

  • HTMS Chakri Naruebet (1996)* Commissioned in 1997, but by 1999, only one used AV-8S Matador/Harrier was still operable due to lack of spare parts and age.[16] Since 2006 is solely operated as a helicopter carrier.

Turkey

Active:

  • TCG Anadolu (2021) Construction works began on 30 April 2016 at the shipyard of Sedef Shipbuilding Inc. in Istanbul. It was delivered to the Turkish Navy in January 2023.[17][18][19]

United Kingdom

Main article: List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy

Active:

Retired:

Sunk:

Never completed:

  • Audacious class
    • Eagle – cancelled 1946
    • Africa – to Malta class then cancelled
  • Majestic class
  • Centaur class - second batch of four cancelled
    • Hermes – cancelled
    • Arrogant – cancelled
    • Monmouth – cancelled
    • Polyphemus – cancelled
  • Malta class – ordered 1943, not laid down, cancelled 1945[20]
    • Malta
    • New Zealand
    • Gibraltar
    • Africa
  • CVA-01 – cancelled 1966
    • Initial four ships planned, reduced to two (likely to have been named Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh), reduced to one ship in 1963. No building started.

United States

Main article: List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

The United States Navy is a blue-water navy that is the world's largest navy by tonnage and has the world's largest fleet of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The carrier fleet currently comprises the (CATOBAR) Nimitz-class and (CATOBAR/ EMALS) Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers. These carriers serve as the centerpieces and flagships for the Navy's Carrier Strike Groups, with their embarked carrier air wings and accompanying ships and submarines, which strongly contribute to the US ability to project force around the globe. The following is a complete list of all the US Navy's carriers and classes to date, and their status:

Active

Under construction

Planned

  • Gerald R. Ford class
    • CVN-82 (ordered)
    • CVN-83 (planned)
    • CVN-84 (planned)
    • CVN-85 (planned)
    • CVN-86 (planned)
    • CVN-87 (planned)

Reserve

  • (none currently in reserve)

Retired (preserved as museum ships)

Retired (other)

Retired (scrapped)

Sunk († scuttled)

Cancelled before completion

Escort aircraft carrier

Main article: List of escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

The United States Navy also had a sizable fleet of escort aircraft carriers during World War II and the era that followed. These ships were both quicker and cheaper to build than larger fleet carriers and were built in great numbers to serve as a stop-gap measure when fleet carriers were too few. However, they were usually too slow to keep up with naval task forces and would typically be assigned to amphibious operations, often seen in the Pacific war's island hopping campaign, or to convoy protection in the war in the Atlantic. To that end, many of these ships were transferred to the Royal Navy as part of the US-UK lend-lease program. While some of these ships were kept for a time in reserve after the war, none survive today, as they have all since been sunk or retired and scrapped. The following are the classes and stand-alone ships of the US Navy's escort carriers;

  • Bogue class (45 ships, 33 went to the RN)
  • Sangamon class (4 ships)
  • Casablanca class (50 ships)
  • Commencement Bay class (19 ships went into service, 4 were cancelled)
  • Stand-alone ships;
    • No USN name given (AVG-1/BAVG-1) – went to the RN as HMS Archer (D78)
    • No USN name given (AVG-2/BAVG-2) – went to the RN as HMS Avenger (D14)
    • No USN name given (AVG-3/BAVG-3) – went to the RN as HMS Biter (D97), then later to the French Navy as Dixmude
    • No USN name given (AVG-4/BAVG-4) – went to the RN as HMS Charger (D27), later returned to USN as USS Charger (CVE-30)
    • No USN name given (AVG-5/BAVG-5) – went to the RN as HMS Dasher (D37)
    • No USN name given (BAVG-6) – went to the RN as HMS Tracker (D24)
    • USS Long Island

Amphibious assault ship

Main article: List of amphibious warfare ships of the United States Navy

The United States Navy also has several full-deck, amphibious assault ships, which are larger than many of the aircraft carriers of other navies today.[21] These ships are STOVL-capable and can carry full squadrons of fixed-wing aircraft, such as the V/STOL AV-8B Harrier II and the STOVL F-35 Lightning II, along with numerous rotary-wing aircraft. Their primary purpose though, is usually to serve as the centerpiece and flagship for an Expeditionary Strike Group or Amphibious Ready Group, carrying US Marine Corps Expeditionary Units and their equipment close to shore for amphibious landings and departures. The following are ships and classes of US Navy amphibious assault ships;

Active

Under construction

Planned

  • America-class amphibious assault ship (11 total)
    • LHA-10 (ordered)
    • LHA-11 (planned)
    • LHA-12 (planned)
    • LHA-13 (planned)
    • LHA-14 (planned)
    • LHA-15 (planned)
    • LHA-16 (planned)

Retired

List of all aircraft carriers

More information Name, Service ...

See also

References

  • Data for Japanese carriers from: Francillon, Rene (1979). Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30251-6.

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Nuclear-powered.
  2. [N 2]
    Converted oil tanker with deck but no hangar or lifts, active as merchant ship. Aircraft stored on deck.
  3. [N 3]
    Transferred to the United Kingdom under the Lend Lease program. Returned to the US after World War II ended.
  4. [N 4]
    Transferred from the United States under the Lend Lease program. Returned to the US after World War II ended.
  5. [N 5]
    Transferred from the United States under the Lend Lease program.
  6. [N 6]
    Converted Grain carrier with added deck and hangar, still carried cargo but reduced capacity.
  7. [N 7]
    HMS Vengeance loaned to Australia from 1952 to 1956 as HMAS Vengeance, sold to Brazil 1956 as Minas Gerais.

Citations

  1. [1]
    "China unveils first aircraft carrier to enter service". Fox News. 25 September 2012. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  2. [2]
    Buckley, Chris (25 April 2017). "China, Sending a Signal, Launches a Home-Built Aircraft Carrier". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  3. [3]
    Reporter, Aadil Brar China News (3 January 2024). "China releases new images of third aircraft carrier Fujian". Newsweek. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  4. [4]
    "French WW1 ASW vessels". naval encyclopedia. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  5. [5]
    Carl Dreessen: "Die deutsche Flottenrüstung." Mittler & Sohn. Hamburg 2000. p. 101
  6. [6]
    Gröner 1990, p. 74
  7. [7]
    Gardiner, Robert (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870219139.
  8. [8]
    "INS Vikrant to be ready by 2018, says Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan". India Today. 28 May 2015. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  9. [9]
    Suciu, Peter (28 July 2022). "INS Vikrant: India's New Aircraft Carrier Has Arrived". 19FortyFive. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Navy's Dream of Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Suffers a Hit; BARC Says it Will Take 15-20 Years". India.com. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 9 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  11. [11]
    https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/11/italian-mods-defence-planning-document-2023-2025-new-naval-and-joint-programs/. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. [12]
    Lockie, Alex. "Japan unveiled new plans for an F-35 aircraft carrier – and it's a Chinese navy killer". Business Insider. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  13. [13]
    Sutton, H. I. "Japan To Get First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II". Forbes. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  14. [14]
    Yoshida, Reiji (23 May 2019). "Japan's plan to remodel Izumo-class carriers: Needed upgrade or mere show of force?". The Japan Times Online. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  15. [15]
    Busquets, C.; Campanera, A.; Coello, J. L. (1994). Los portaaviones españoles (in Spanish). Agualarga Editores. ISBN 84-88959-02-8.
  16. [16]
    Carpenter, William M.; Wiencek, David G. (2000). Asian Security Handbook. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe. p. 302. ISBN 978-0-76560-714-0.
  17. [17]
    "Uçak Gemisi Olan Ülkeleri Öğrenelim". 2020 Güncel Bilgi (in Turkish). 23 November 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  18. [18]
    Tayfun, Ozberk (28 February 2022). "Turkey's future LHD Anadolu Starts Sea Trials". Naval News. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  19. [19]
    "Turkish Navy Accepts Delivery Of Its Flagship, TCG ANADOLU". Naval News. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  20. [20]
    Hobbs, David (2013). British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. p. 215. ISBN 978-1-84832-138-0.
  21. [21]
    "America Class Amphibious Assault Ship". Military Today. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2018.

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Warrilow, Betty. Nabob, the first Canadian-manned aircraft carrier Owen Sound, Ont. : Escort Carriers Association, 1989.
  • Chesneau, Roger. Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present. An Illustrated Encyclopedia Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-902-2
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article List_of_aircraft_carriers, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.