Helicopter carrier
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Helicopter carrier is a term for a warship (an aircraft carrier) whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. The term is used for both Anti-Submarine Warfare carriers and amphibious assault ships.
Helicopter carriers can either have a full-length aircraft deck like HMS Ocean, or have a large helicopter deck, usually aft e.g. the Italian Navy cruiser Vittorio Veneto or HMS Albion (L14) . The latter is becoming less common as such a design represents a compromise. A full-length deck maximises deck space for helicopter landing spots. Such a design also allows for a hangar deck.
Pure helicopter carriers are difficult to find in the 21st century; the advent of STOVL aircraft such as the BAe Harrier has complicated the classification. Only smaller carriers, unable to operate the Harrier and older pre-Harrier era carriers can be regarded as true helicopter carriers. In many cases, other carriers, able to operate STOVL aircraft, are classified as Light aircraft carrier.
HMS Hermes (R12) and two of her sisters were 22,000 ton fleet carriers converted to operate helicopters only as "commando carriers". Hermes was later converted to a STVOL carrier.
[edit] Examples of Helicopter carriers
[edit] Retired helicopter carriers
- USS Iwo Jima (LPH-2) LPH US Navy lead ship of Iwo Jima class
- HMS Bulwark (R08), HMS Albion (R07) LPH Royal Navy - helicopter carriers 1960s-1980s
- Moskva class aircraft carrier (more accurately a helicopter carrier) Soviet Navy
- Andrea Doria class cruiser Italian Navy
[edit] Light aircraft carriers
- The Invincible Class carriers of the Royal Navy can also take on the role of a Helicopter carrier or Landing Platform, Helicopter(LPH)).
- Dédalo (Spanish Navy) - helicopter carrier 1967-1976, Light carrier 1976-1989
- Chakri naruebet (Royal Thai Navy)
