List of aircraft carriers by country
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The list of aircraft carriers by country includes all aircraft carriers organized by country of origin and service. Where appropriate, a single ship may be listed under multiple countries.
See also:
The list below does not include helicopter carriers, aircraft carrying submarines, or ships that weren't commissioned.
| Country | Total | In Service | Decommissioned | Under construction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States |
66 | 11 | 53 | 2 |
 United Kingdom |
41 | 3 | 36 | 2 |
 Japan |
32 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
 France |
27 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
 Germany |
23 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
 Russia |
7 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
 Italy |
6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
 Canada |
5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
 Spain |
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
 India |
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Australia |
6 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
 Brazil |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
 Argentina |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Netherlands |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Thailand |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 Ukraine |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Note: BU means broken up - that is, that the ship was dismantled.
Contents |
[edit] Argentina
Retired:
- Light carriers:
- ARA Independencia (V-1): Colossus class light carrier in service from 1959 to 1969
- ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2): Colossus class light carrier in service from 1969 to 1999
[edit] Australia
Retired:
- Fleet carriers:
- HMAS Sydney: Majestic class carrier in service from 1948 to 1958. Later recommissioned as troop transport
- HMAS Melbourne: Majestic class carrier in service from 1955 to 1982
- Light carrier:
- HMAS Vengeance: Colossus class light carrier on loan from Royal Navy from 1952 to 1955
- Seaplane tender:
- HMAS Albatross: Unique seaplane tender in service from 1928 to 1933
[edit] Brazil
Active:
- Fleet carrier:
- NAeL São Paulo: Clemenceau class carrier in service since 2000
Retired:
- Light carrier:
- NAeL Minas Gerais: Colossus class carrier in service from 1960 to 2001
[edit] Canada
Retired:
- Light carriers:
- HMCS Warrior: Colossus class light carrier in service from 1946 to 1948
- HMCS Magnificent: Majestic class carrier in service from 1946 to 1956
- HMCS Bonaventure: Majestic class carrier in service from 1957 to 1970
- Escort carriers of the Royal Navy crewed by Royal Canadian Navy personnel:
- HMS Puncher: Bogue class escort carrier in service from 1944 to 1946
- HMS Nabob: Bogue class escort carrier in service from 1943 to 1944
[edit] People's Republic of China
China has three non-functional aircraft carriers.
- Non-operational carriers:
[edit] France
Active:
- Nuclear powered aircraft carrier:
- Charles de Gaulle: In service since 2001
Retired:
- Conventional carriers:
- Béarn: Converted Normandie class battleship in service from 1927 to 1948
- Clemenceau: Clemenceau class carrier in service from 1961 to 1997
- Foch: Clemenceau class carrier in service from 1963 to 2000
- Light carriers:
- Dixmude: Charger class escort carrier in service from 1945 to 1966
- Arromanches: Colossus class light carrier in service from 1946 to 1974
- Lafayette: Independence class light carrier in service from 1951 to 1963
- Bois Belleau: Bois Belleau class light carrier in service from 1953 to 1960
- Seaplane carriers and tenders:
- Foudre: Converted cruiser in service as a seaplane carrier from 1914 to 1918
- Compinas: Converted merchant ship in service as a seaplane tender from 1915 to 1916
- Nord: Converted merchant ship in service as a seaplane tender from 1915 to 1919
- Pas-de-Calais: Converted merchant ship in service as a seaplane tender from 1915 to 1919
- Rouen: Converted merchant ship in service as a seaplane tender from 1916 to 1919
- Petrel class: Eight light inshore seaplane tenders in service from 1931 into World War II
- Commandant Teste: Seaplane transport and tender in service from 1932 to 1942
- Belfort: Converted Amiens class sloop in service from 1939 to 1946
- Diligente: Converted Friponne class sloop in service during 1940
- Paul Goffeny: Former German tug type seaplane tender in service from 1948 to 1955
- Robert Giraud: Former German tug type seaplane tender in service from 1948 to 1963
- Marcel le Bihan: Seaplane support ship from 1948 to 1961
- Aircraft carrying submarine:
- Surcouf: Aircraft carrying submarine in service from 1934 to 1942
Planned:
- Light carriers:
- Engageante: Friponne class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
- Conquerante: Valliante class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
- Sans Souci: Sans Souci class seaplane tender captured by Germany in 1940 while building
- Sans Peur: Sans Souci class seaplane tender captured by Germany in 1940 while building
- Sans Pareil: Sans Souci class seaplane tender captured by Germany in 1940 while building
- Sans Reproche: Sans Souci class seaplane tender captured by Germany in 1940 while building
- Carrier development programs:
- Georges Pompidou (tentative name) modified version of UK CVF design
- PH 75: Projected nuclear powered amphibious assault ship program during the 1970s
- Planned carriers which did not enter service:
- Joffre: Joffre class carrier construction cancelled in 1940
- Painleve: Joffre class carrier plan cancelled in 1940
- Verdun: Attack carrier development cancelled in 1961
[edit] Germany
Retired:
- Seaplane tenders:
- Glyndwr: Converted merchant type seaplane tender in service from 1914 to 1916
- Adeline Hugo Stinnes 3: Converted merchant type seaplane carrier in service from 1914
- Answald: Converted merchant type seaplane carrier in service from 1915 to 1919
- Santa Elena: Converted merchant type seaplane carrier in service from 1915 to 1919
- Oswald: Converted merchant type seaplane carrier in service from 1918 to 1919
- Stuttgart: Converted Stettin class cruiser in service from 1918 to 1919
- Krischan: Light tug type seaplane tender in service from 1934 and sunk in 1944
- Gunther Pluschow: Light tug type seaplane tender in service from 1935 to 1945
- Bernhard von Tschirschky: Light tug type seaplane tender in service from 1935 and sunk in 1944
- Hans Rolshoven: Light tug type seaplane tender in service from 1938 and sunk in 1944
- Greif: Light tug type seaplane tender in service from 1937 to 1945
- Sperber: Light seaplane tender in service from 1938 to 1949
- Ostmark: Light seaplane tender in service from 1939 and sunk in 1940
- Schwabenland: Converted merchant type seaplane tender in service from 1939 to 1945
- Friesenland: Seaplane tender in service from 1939 to 1945
- Karl Meyer: Karl Meyer class seaplane tender in service from 1940 and sunk in 1944
- Westfalen: Converted merchant type seaplane tender in service from 1940 and sunk in 1944
- Max Stinsky: Karl Meyer class seaplane tender in service from 1941 to 1944
- Imelmann: Karl Meyer class seaplane tender in service from 1941 to 1944
- Boelke: Karl Meyer class seaplane tender in service from 1942 and sunk in 1945
- Hans Albrecht Wedel: Hans Albrecht Wedel class light seaplane tender in service from 1941 and sunk in 1945
- Bussard: Bussard class light seaplane tender in service from 1942 to 1945
- Falke: Bussard class light seaplane tender in service from 1942 to 1946
Planned:
- Planned aircraft carriers which did not enter service:
- Graf Zeppelin: Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled during fitting out
- Flugzeugträger B: Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled during construction
- Seydlitz: Converted Admiral Hipper class cruiser cancelled during conversion
- Planned seaplane tenders which did not enter service:
- Roon: Converted armored cruiser cancelled during conversion in 1917
- Richtofen: Hans Albrecht Wedel class light seaplane tender cancelled during fitting out in 1942
- Hermann Kohl: Hans Albrecht Wedel class light seaplane tender cancelled during fitting out in 1942
[edit] India
Active:
- Aircraft carriers:
- Viraat: Centaur class carrier in service since 1987
Planned:
- Aircraft carriers:
- Vikramaditya: Modified Kiev class carrier planned to enter service in 2010
- Development program:
- Vikrant class aircraft carrier (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier): 37,500 ton aircraft carrier. It is being built at Cochin SY, southern India, and is expected to enter service in 2011. There will be two built as of 2007.
Retired:
- Aircraft carriers:
- Vikrant: Majestic class carrier in service from 1961 to 1997 and currently a museum ship
[edit] Italy
Active:
- Giuseppe Garibaldi (551) (1983) - Current fleet flagship
Planned:
- Cavour (550) (formerly named Andrea Doria) under construction, will be the new fleet flagship
Retired:
- Sparviero (1927) (converted liner Augustus, not completed as carrier) - Sunk 5 October 1944
- Aquila (1926) (converted liner Roma) - BU 1951-1952
- Giuseppe Miraglia (1923) (seaplane carrier) - BU 1950
- Europa (1895) (merchantman converted to seaplane carrier) - Stricken 1920
[edit] Japan
Retired:
- Akagi (1927) - damaged and scuttled 1942
- Akitsu Maru
- Amagi - (1944) used as anti-aircraft platform and sunk in 1945
- Chitose - seaplane tender from 1934 to 1942, rebuilt as light carrier and sunk in 1944
- Chiyoda
- Chuyo
- Hiyō (1939) - sank 1944
- Hiryū (1937) - sank 1942
- Hōshō (1919) - decommissioned 1946
- Junyō
- Kaga (1920) - sank 1942
- Kaiyo
- Katsuragi
- Kumano Maru
- Myoho
- Nigitsu Maru
- Ryuho
- Ryūjō - sank 1942
- Shimane Maru
- Shinano
- Shinyo
- Shōhō
- Shōkaku
- Sōryū (1934) - sank 1942
- Taihō
- Taiyō
- Unryū
- Unyo
- Yamashiro Maru
- Zuihō
- Zuikaku
Only Hōshō, Junyō, Katsuragi, Kumano Maru, and Ryuho survived the war and these were scrapped by 1948.
Planned:
- Aso
- Ibuki
- Ikoma
[edit] Netherlands
Retired:
- Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British HMS Venerable, purchased 1948) - Sold to Argentina 1968 and renamed Veinticinco de Mayo, BU
- Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British Nairana, transferred 1946) - Returned to Royal Navy for disposal in 1948 and replaced by HMS Venerable
[edit] Russia
[edit] Spain
Active:
- Principe de Asturias: 17,000 ton STOVL carrier in active service, commissioned 30 May 1982.
Planned:
- Juan Carlos I (LHD1): 27,000 ton, expected in 2008
Retired:
- Dédalo - 11,700 ton Independence class light carrier, ex-USS Cabot, in service 1967 through August 1989.
- Dedalo (1901, ex-British Neuenfels converted to seaplane carrier, sold to Spain 22 October 1918) - Sunk 18 July 1937
[edit] Thailand
Active:
- HTMS Chakri Naruebet (1996)
[edit] Ukraine
Retired:
[edit] United Kingdom
excludes escort carriers built during WW2 by US yards
Active ships
- Invincible class
- Illustrious (1981)
- Ark Royal (1981)
Planned ships
- Queen Elizabeth class (full-sized, CTOL/STOVL aircraft carriers) of 65,000 tonnes
- HMS Queen Elizabeth (2014)
- HMS Prince of Wales (2016)
Decommissioned ships
- Argus (1916)
- Furious (1916)
- Glorious class
- Glorious (1916)
- Courageous (1916)
- Vindictive (1918)
- Eagle (1918)
- Hermes (1923)
- Ark Royal (1938)
- Unicorn
- Illustrious class
- Illustrious (1939)
- Formidable (1939)
- Victorious (1939)
- Indomitable (1940)
- Implacable class
- Implacable (1942)
- Indefatigable (1942)
- Colossus class
- Colossus (1943), sold to France in 1946 and renamed Arromanches
- Glory (1943)
- Ocean
- Theseus (1944)
- Triumph (1944)
- Venerable, sold to the Netherlands in 1948 and renamed Karel Doorman, then to Argentina and renamed Veinticinco de Mayo
- Vengeance (1944), sold to Brazil in 1956 and renamed Minas Gerais
- Warrior (1944), loaned to Canada, sold to Argentina in 1958 and renamed Independencia
- Perseus (1944)
- Pioneer (1944)
- Majestic class
- Majestic (1945), sold to Australia in 1955 and renamed Melbourne
- Hercules (1945), sold to India in 1957 and renamed Vikrant
- Leviathan (1945), was never completed
- HMCS Magnificent
- Powerful (1945), sold to Canada in 1952 and renamed Bonaventure
- Terrible (1944), sold to Australia in 1948 and renamed Sydney
- Centaur class
- Audacious class
- Invincible class
- Invincible (1977)
[edit] United States
- See list of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
- See list of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy
- See list of escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
[edit] References
- Haze Gray & Underway World Aircraft Carrier Lists
- Warrilow, Betty. Nabob, the first Canadian-manned aircraft carrier Owen Sound, Ont. : Escort Carriers Association, 1989.
