List of aircraft carriers by country
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. For the list of seaplane carriers and tenders see List of seaplane carriers by country.
Numbers of aircraft carriers operated
The table below does not include, aircraft carrying submarines, seaplane tenders, escort carriers or merchant aircraft carriers
Number of aircraft carriers by operating nation
| Country |
Total† |
In service |
In reserve |
Decommissioned |
Under construction |
Never completed |
| United States |
67 |
11 |
1 |
55 |
2 |
12 |
| United Kingdom |
40 |
1 |
0 |
40 |
2 |
12 |
| Japan |
20 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
0 |
4 |
| France |
8 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
7 |
| Russia |
7 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
| Australia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Canada |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Italy |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| India |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
| Spain |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Brazil |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Argentina |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Thailand |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Netherlands |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| China |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Germany |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
- † Includes only carriers that have been commissioned into service
Argentina
Retired:
Australia
Retired:
Brazil
Active:
Retired:
Canada
Retired:
China
Under refit:
- Varyag: ex-Soviet Navy carrier sold to China by Ukraine being refitted in Dalian. Undergoing sea trials as of August 10, 2011.
Under construction:
France
Active:
Retired:
Planned:
- Engageante : Friponne class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
- Conquerante : Valliante class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
- Joffre class
- Joffre : carrier construction cancelled in 1940
- Painleve : 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
- Georges Pompidou : (tentative name) modified version of UK CVF design.
- Richelieu : modified version of Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class (formerly CVF).
Germany
Planned:
The two planned Italian carriers Aquila and Sparviero were seized by the Germans after the Italian Armistice but not completed.
India
Active:
Under refit:
Under construction:
- Vikrant class aircraft carrier (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier): 40,000 ton aircraft carrier. It is being built at Cochin Shipyard, southern India, and is expected to enter service in 2012.
- INS Vishal: 65,000 ton aircraft carrier(Cochin Shipyard).Planned to be placed under vikrant class aircraft carrier
Retired:
Italy
Active:
Retired before completion:
- Sparviero (1927) (converted liner Augustus, not completed as carrier) - Sunk 5 October 1944
- Aquila (1926) (converted liner Roma) - BU 1951-1952
Japan
Retired:
- Hōshō (1921) - decommissioned 1946
- Kaiyo (1943) - decommissioned 1945 and scrapped 1946
Sunk:
- Kaga (1921) - sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
- Akagi (1925) - sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
- Ryūjō (1931) - sunk, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, August 1942
- Ryūhō (1933) - damaged at Kure by U.S. air raid March 1945 and scrapped postwar
- Sōryū class
- Sōryū (1935) - sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
- Hiryū (1937) - sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
- Zuihō class
- Shōhō (1935) - sunk, Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942
- Zuihō (1936) - sunk, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
- Chitose class
- Chitose (1936) - seaplane tender from 1934 to 1942, rebuilt as light carrier and sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944
- Chiyoda (1937) - sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
- Shokaku class
- Shōkaku (1939) - sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
- Zuikaku (1939) - sunk, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
- Hiyō class
- Junyō (1939) - damaged during Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944. Never repaired; scrapped postwar.
- Hiyō (1939) - sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
- Taihō (1943) - sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
- Unryū class
- Amagi (1943) - used as anti-aircraft platform and sunk in July 1945
- Unryū (1943) - sunk by U.S. submarine Redfish, December 1944
- Katsuragi (1944) - used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and then scrapped
- Shinano (1944) - sunk by U.S. submarine Archerfish, November 1944
- Mizuho (1939) - sunk by U.S. submarine USS Drum (SS-228), 1 May 1942.
Only Hōshō, Junyō, Katsuragi and Ryuho survived the war and these were scrapped by 1948.
Planned:
- Unryū class
- Aso 4th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
- Ikoma 5th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
- Kasagi 6th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
- Ibuki Heavy cruiser conversion; scrapped postwar
Netherlands
Retired:
Russia
Active:
Retired:
Planned:
Spain
Active:
Retired:
Planned:
Thailand
Active:
United Kingdom
Under construction:
Retired:
Modified:
Planned:
- Centaur class
- Hermes - cancelled
- Arrogant - cancelled
- Monmouth - cancelled
- Polyphemus - cancelled
- Malta class - cancelled 1946
- Malta
- New Zealand
- Gibraltar
- Africa
- CVA-01 - cancelled 1966
- Queen Elizabeth
- Duke of Edinburgh
United States
See also
Notes
References
- "World Aircraft Carrier Lists". Haze Gray & Underway. http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/.
- 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