List of aircraft carriers explained

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.

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

Number of fleet aircraft carriers by operating nation
CountryIn serviceInactiveDecommissionedUnder constructionNever completedTotal
0 02 0 0 2
0 03 0 0 3
0 02 0 0 2
0 03 0 0 3
3 00 1 0 4
1 07 1 7 16
0 00 0 7 7
20200 4
Italy101 1 2 5
2 025 0 3 30
0 01 0 0 1
0 14 0 2 7
1 02 0 1 4
1 00 0 0 1
1 00 0 0 1
2 038 0 15 55
11055 3 12 81
Total251144749227

List of countries that have operated aircraft carriers

Argentina

Retired:

Australia

Retired:

Brazil

Retired:

Canada

Retired:

China

See main article: Chinese aircraft carrier programme. Active:

Fitting-out & Seatrials

Under construction & Planned:

France

Active:

Planned:

Retired:

Never completed:

Germany

See main article: List of aircraft carriers of Germany.

Never completed:

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.

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[6]

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

India

Active:

Planned:

Retired:

Italy

Active:

Under construction:

Retired:

Never completed:

Japan

Active:[11] [12] [13]

Retired:

Sunk:

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

Never completed:

Netherlands

Retired:

Russia (and 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).

Inactive:

Planned:

Retired:

Never completed:

Spain

Active:

Retired:

Never completed:

Thailand

Role changed:

Turkey

Active:

United Kingdom

See main article: List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy.

Active:

Retired:

Sunk:

Never completed:

United States

See 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) and (CATOBAR/ EMALS) 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

Reserve

Retired (preserved as museum ships)

Retired (other)

Retired (scrapped)

Sunk († scuttled)

Cancelled before completion

Escort aircraft carrier

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;

Amphibious assault ship

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.[22] 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

Retired

List of all aircraft carriers

NameServicePennant
or hull #		ClassTypeFlight operationIn commissionNotes
CVN-72SupercarrierCATOBAR
United KingdomMAC 1Merchant aircraft carrier1943–1946[23] Returned to commercial service.
D94Escort carrier1942–1945Converted freighter.
Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov
111Fleet carrierVTOL1987–1996Also known as Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov, Admiral Gorshkov, or just Gorshkov. Before 1991, it was named Baku. To India as Vikramaditya 2004.
Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov
063/113Fleet carrierSTOBAR1991–presentAlso known as Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, Admiral Kuznetsov, or just Kuznetsov. Ex-Tbilisi.
CVE-99Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946ex-Chapin Bay.
United KingdomMAC 2Merchant aircraft carrier1944–1946 Returned to commercial service.
/
Fleet carrierCATOBARAudacious-class carrier ordered 1943, changed to Malta-class carrier 1944, cancelled 1945.
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1927–1942Converted, Sunk 4 June 1942 at Midway
Alava BayCVE-103Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
Alazon BayCVE-55Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 after construction began.
Alazon BayCVE-94Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
R07Fleet carrierCATOBAR1954–1962Converted to commando carrier.
United KingdomMAC 3Merchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
Alikula BayCVE-57Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed before launch.
Alikula BayCVE-95Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1944 after launch.
CVE-6Escort carrier1942–1942[24] Became .
CVE-18Escort carrier1942–1946
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1920–22 conversion from battlecruiser never completed.
Light fleet carrierSTOBAR1944–1945Sunk 29 July 1945 by aircraft
United KingdomMAC 4Merchant aircraft carrier1943–1946 Returned to commercial service
AmeerAVG-55Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed Alazon Bay 1943 after construction began.
D01Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CV-66SupercarrierCATOBAR1965–1996
United KingdomMAC 5Merchant aircraft carrier1943–1946 Returned to commercial service
Andrea Doria550Aircraft carrierRenamed Cavour before construction began.
Anguilla BayCVE-96Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
CV-36Fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–19631st carrier modified with angled flight deck, 1952.
CVE-57Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-USS Coral Sea, renamed to reuse name for CV-43.
Fleet carrier1941–1943 conversion from passenger liner never completed.
D31Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
BAVG-1Escort carrier Converted cargo ship. Became .
D78Escort carrier1941–1943 Ex-USS Archer.
I49Fleet carrier1918–1929Converted ocean liner.
91Fleet carrier1939–1941Sunk by on 13 November 1941
R09Fleet carrierCATOBAR1955–1978Ex-Irresistible. First carrier commissioned with angled deck.
R07Aircraft carrierSTOVL1985–2011Ex-Indomitable.
ArrogantLight carrierCATOBARLaid down 1944, never completed.
R95Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1974Ex-, loaned (later sold) to France
Light fleet carrierSTOBARLaunched in 1944, never completed.
Astrolabe BayCVE-60Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Astrolabe BayCVE-97Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1944 after launch.
D51Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
D02Escort carrier1942–1946 Ex-.
CVE-102Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Elbour Bay.
AudaciousR05Fleet carrierCATOBAR1951–1972Renamed 1946 while under construction.
D10Escort carrier1941–1941Converted merchant ship, sunk by
Auguilla BayCVE-58Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
AvengerBAVG-1Escort carrier Became .
D14Escort carrier1942–1942[25] Sunk 15 November 1942 by .
CVE-116Escort carrier1945–1957Ex-San Alberto Bay.
CVE-35Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
CVE-115Escort carrier1945–1955Ex-Portage Bay.
Baku103Aircraft cruiserVTOL1987–1991Renamed to Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Gorshkov in 1991.
BalinasCVE-36Escort carrierRenamed after launch because of misspelling.
CVE-7Escort carrier1942–1942 Became .
CVE-20Escort carrier1942–1946
CVE-37Escort carrier1942–1942 Became .
CVE-124Escort carrierLaid down 1945, cancelled before launch
CVL-29Light carrier1943–1954
D18Escort carrier1942–1946[26] Ex-.
BAVG-5BAVG-5Escort carrier Became .
data-sort-value="Bearn"BéarnFleet carrier1927–1948Converted battleship.
D38Escort carrier1944–1946 Ex-.
CVL-24Light carrier1943–1947To France as Bois Belleau
CV-20Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1970
CVE-95Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1945Ex-Alikula Bay. Sunk 21 February 1945 by kamikaze attack off Iwo Jima
BiterBAVG-23Escort carrier Became .
D97Escort carrier1940–1945 To France as Dixmude
CVE-8Escort carrier Converted freighter. Became HMS Trailer, then .
CVE-21Escort carrier1943–1944Sunk 29 May 1944 by
Escort carrier1944–1954Ex-Sunset Bay (some sources say Sunset).
CVE-9Escort carrier1942–1946
Bois BelleauR97Light carrier1953–1960Ex-.
CVE-36Escort carrier1943–1943Ex-Balinas. Became .
Bon Homme RichardCV-10Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1942 before launch.
CV-31Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1971
CVL-22Light carrierCATOBAR1957–1970Ex-incomplete HMS Powerful.
CVE-100Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Didrickson Bay.
CV-21Fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1969
CVE-10Escort carrier1943–1943 Became
CVE-23Escort carrier1943–1946
Bucareli BayCVE-61Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Bucareli BayCVE-98Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1944 before launch.
R08Fleet carrierCATOBAR1954–1981Converted to commando carrier 1960
CV-17Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1947
CabotCV-16Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1942 before launch.
CVL-28Light carrier1943–1955To Spain as Dédalo
D48Escort carrier1944–1952Command ship for first British atomic bomb test
CVE-88Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1959Ex-Tananek Bay.
CVE-109Escort carrier1945–1946Ex-Willapa Bay.
CVE-11Escort carrier1942–1946
CVN-70Supercarrier[27] CATOBAR1982–present
CVE-38Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
CVE-55Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Alazon Bay.
550Aircraft carrierV/STOL2008–presentEx-Andrea Doria.
R06Fleet carrierCATOBAR1953–1965
Chakri Naruebet911Aircraft carrierSTOVL1997–present
Chapin BayCVE-63Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 after construction began.
Chapin BayCVE-99Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed before construction began.
CVE-30Escort carrier1942–1946Converted liner. Became HMS Charger 1942, returned to US two days later.
D27Escort carrier1942–1942Ex-. Returned to US two days later.
R91Fleet carrierCATOBAR2001–presentex-Richelieu
D32Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CVE-32Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
CVE-28Escort carrier1942–1946Converted oiler.
Yamashio MaruEscort carrierSTOBAR1944 tanker conversion, never completed.
Light carrier1942–1944Converted seaplane tender. Sunk 25 October 1944 off Leyte Gulf.
Light carrierSTOBAR1943–1944Converted seaplane tender. Sunk 25 October 1944 off Leyte Gulf.
Escort carrierSTOBAR1942–1943Converted ocean liner, sunk by 4 December 1943
R98Fleet carrierCATOBAR1961–1997
R15Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Loaned (later sold) to France as Arromanches
CVE-105Escort carrier1944–1946Ex-St. Joseph Bay.
CV-64SupercarrierCATOBAR1961–2003
CVE-12Escort carrier1942–1946
CVE-57Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1944Ex-Alikula Bay. Renamed to re-use the name for CV-43.
CVB-43Fleet carrier1947–1990
CVE-39Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
CVE-13Escort carrier1942–1946
CVE-58Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1958Ex-Auguilla Bay.
50Fleet carrier1928–1939Converted battlecruiser. Sunk by, 17 September 1939
CVL-25Light carrier1943–1947
CVE-14Escort carrier1943–1943 Became
CVE-25Escort carrier1943–1946
Crown PointCV-32Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1945 before launch.
CV-44CV-44Fleet carrierNever laid down, cancelled 1943.
CV-50CV-50Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CV-51CV-51Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CV-52CV-52Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CV-53CV-53Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CV-54CV-54Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CV-55CV-55Fleet carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CVB-56CVB-56Fleet carrierNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CVB-57CVB-57Fleet carrierNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CVE-128CVE-128Escort carrierCancelled 1945 after construction began.
CVE-129CVE-129Escort carrierCancelled 1945 after construction began.
CVE-130CVE-130Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-131CVE-131Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-132CVE-132Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-133CVE-133Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-134CVE-134Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-135CVE-135Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-136CVE-136Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-137CVE-137Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-138CVE-138Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
CVE-139CVE-139Escort carrierCancelled 1945 before construction began.
Daiju MaruEscort carrierSTOBARTanker conversion. Cancelled 1945.
D37Escort carrier1942–1943 Ex-American BAVG-5. Sunk 27 March 1943 following explosion of unknown cause.
data-sort-value="Dedalo"DédaloLight carrier1967–1989Ex-.
CVE-40Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
Didrickson BayCVE-64Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Didrickson BayCVE-100Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed before construction began.
DixmudeEscort carrier1945–1966Ex-.
Dolomi BayCVE-65Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Dolomi BayCVE-101Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1944 before launch.
Duke of EdinburghCVA-01Fleet carrierCATOBARPlanned 1960s fleet carrier, but never ordered.
CVN-69SupercarrierCATOBAR1977–present
94Fleet carrier1924–1942Converted battleship. Sunk by, 11 August 1942
EagleFleet carrierCATOBARLaid down 1944, cancelled 1946.
R05Fleet carrierCATOBAR1951–1972Ex-Audacious.
CVE-41Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
ElbeJadeAuxiliary aircraft carrierLiner conversion, cancelled 1943.
Elbour BayCVE-66Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Elbour BayCVE-102Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed before construction began.
ElephantLight carrierCATOBARLaid down 1944, not completed until 1959 as .
D98Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
EmperorCVE-67Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed Nassuk Bay 1943 after construction began.
United KingdomMHMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945[28] Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMKMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMLMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMNMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMBMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMSMerchant aircraft carrier1944–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMHMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMOMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMJMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
United KingdomMUMerchant aircraft carrier1943–1945 Returned to commercial service
D42Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CVE-125Escort carrierKeel laid April 1945, cancelled before launch
CV-6Fleet carrier1938–1947
CVN-65Supercarrier1961–2012First nuclear-powered carrier
CVN-80SupercarrierCATOBARCommissioning 2025.
CV-9Fleet carrierCATOBAR1942–1969
CVE-42Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
FalcoAircraft carrierLiner conversion began 1942. Renamed but never completed.
CVE-70Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946
D64Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
Flugzeugträger BFleet carrierStarted 1938, cancelled 1939. Proposed name was Peter Strasser.
Flugzeugträger CFleet carrierCancelled 1938 before construction began.
Flugzeugträger DFleet carrierCancelled 1938 before construction began.
R99Fleet carrierCATOBAR1963–2000sold to Brazil as
67Fleet carrierCATOBAR1940–1947
CV-59SupercarrierCATOBAR1955–1993First supercarrier
Fortaleza BayCVE-72Escort carrierCATOBAREx-Fortazela Bay. Renamed 1943 before launch.
Fortazela BayCVE-72Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed Fortaleza Bay 1943 before launch due to spelling error.
CV-13Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1947Badly damaged March 1945
CVB-42Fleet carrier1945–1977
Frosty BayCVE-112Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before launch.
47Fleet carrier1925–1945Converted battlecruiser.
NetherlandsMAC 6Merchant aircraft carrier1944–1946 Returned to commercial service
CVE-73Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1944Sunk by Japanese gunfire at Battle of Leyte Gulf 25 October 1944
CVN-77SupercarrierCATOBAR2009–present
CVN-73SupercarrierCATOBAR1992–present
CVN-78SupercarrierCATOBAR2017–presentIn-service
D68Fleet carrierCATOBAROrdered 1943 but never laid down.
CVE-107Escort carrier1945–1955Ex-St. Andrews Bay. Converted to communication relay ship
551Aircraft carrierSTOVL1983–present
CVE-33Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
77Fleet carrier1930–1940Converted battlecruiser. Sunk by and 8 June 1940
R62Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1956
Fleet carrierLaunched 1938, never completed.
CVE-60Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Astrolabe Bay. Captured
CVE-15Escort carrier1942–1942 Became
HancockCV-14Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
CV-19Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1976Ex-Ticonderoga (CV-19).
CVN-75SupercarrierCATOBAR1998–presentEx-United States
R49Light fleet carrierCATOBAR / STOVLLaunched 1945. To India 1957 and completed as .
95Fleet carrierCATOBAR / STOBAR1924–1942First purpose built carrier launched. Sunk 9 April 1942 by Japanese aircraft.
HermesLight carrierCATOBARLaid down 1944, cancelled 1945.
R12Fleet carrierCATOBAR / STOVL1959–1984Ex-Elephant. To India as
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1939–1942Sunk at Midway
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1942–1944Converted ocean liner, sunk at Battle of the Philippine Sea
Hobart BayCVE-113Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before launch.
CVE-75Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
CVE-97Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1947Ex-Astrolabe Bay.
CV-8Fleet carrier1941–1942Sunk in Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands.
CV-12Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1970Ex-Kearsarge (CV-12). Museum at Alameda, CA.
data-sort-value="Hosho"Fleet carrierSTOBAR1922–1946
D80Escort carrier1943–1945 Ex-. Renamed from HMS Trailer.
Light carrierSTOBARLaunched 1943, never completed.
IAuxiliary aircraft carrierTransport conversion, cancelled 1942.
IIAuxiliary aircraft carrierCruiser conversion, cancelled 1943.
Light carrierSTOBAR1944–1945Sunk in Kure dockyard 24 July 1945
87Fleet carrierCATOBAR1940–1954
R06Aircraft carrierSTOVL1982–2014
R86Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1954
R10Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
CVL-22Light carrier1943–1946
CV-62SupercarrierCATOBAR1959–1998
IndependenciaV-1Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1958–1970Ex-
92Fleet carrierCATOBAR1941–1953
IndomitableR07Aircraft carrierSTOVLRenamed before construction began.
CV-11Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1974Museum in New York City.
R05Aircraft carrierSTOVL1980–2005
IrresitibleR09Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed before launch.
CV-46Fleet carrierCATOBARLaid down 1945, but never completed.
DDH-183Aircraft carrierSTOVL2015–presentAnnounced conversion from multi-purpose destroyer in 2018
JadeJadeAuxiliary aircraft carrierProposed liner conversion, cancelled 1942.
CVE-43Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
JoffreFleet carrierUnder construction 1938–1940, but never completed.
CVN-74SupercarrierCATOBAR1995–present
CV-67Modified /John F. KennedySupercarrierCATOBAR1968–2007
CVN-79SupercarrierCATOBARUnder construction, planned commissioning 2024
Juan Carlos IL61STOVL amphibious warfare shipSTOVL2010–present
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1942–1946Converted ocean liner.
CVE-76Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
Fleet carrierSTOBAR1928–1942Converted battleship. Sunk at Midway
DDH–184Aircraft carrierSTOVL2017–presentAnnounced conversion from multi-purpose destroyer in 2018
KaimonLight carrierCancelled 1944 before construction began. Also known as Kurama.
Kaita BayCVE-78Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
Escort carrierSTOBAR1943–1945Converted ocean liner. Sunk at Beppu Bay 24 July 1945.
CVE-68Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946
Kanalku BayCVE-77Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
QH1Escort carrier1946–1948Ex-.
R81Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1948–1968Ex-HMS Venerable. To Argentina as Veinticinco de Mayo 1969.
CVE-69Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946
Light carrierLaunched 1944, but never completed.
Fleet carrierLaunched 1944, but never completed.
KearsargeCV-12Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1942 before launch.
CV-33Fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1970
CVE-44Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
D62Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
Kiev
075Aircraft carrierVTOL1975–1993Currently an attraction at Tianjin Binhai theme park in China
CVE-71Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946
CV-63SupercarrierCATOBAR1961–2009
KremlinSupercarrierRenamed Ulyanovsk before construction began, never completed.
CVE-108Escort carrier1945–1969Ex-Vermillion Bay.
KuramaLight carrierCancelled 1944 before construction began. Also known as Kaimon.
CVE-98Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Bucareli Bay.
R96Light carrier1951–1963Ex-.
CV-39Fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1966
CV-1Light carrier1922–1938Converted to seaplane tender. Scuttled 27 February 1942 after being damaged by dive bombers.
CVL-27Light carrier1943–1947To France as La Fayette.
Leonid BrezhnevFleet carrierEx-Riga. Renamed Tbilisi after launch in 1985.
LeviathanR97Light carrierCATOBARLaunched 1945, but never completed.
CV-2Fleet carrier1927–1942Sunk by enemy action on 8 May 1942 during Battle of the Coral Sea.
CV-16Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1991Ex-Cabot (CV-16). Museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas
CV-32Fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1959Ex-Crown Point (CV-32).
Liaoning16Type 001Aircraft carrierSTOBAR2012–presentEx-incomplete Varyag from Ukraine 1998.
CVE-126Escort carrierLaid down 1945, but never completed.
CVE-56Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1943Sunk by 24 November 1943
CVE-1Escort carrier1941–1946
Luigi Einaudi550Aircraft carrierSTOVLRenamed Andrea Doria before construction began.
CVE-94Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Alazon Bay.
NetherlandsMAC 7Merchant aircraft carrier1944–1946 Returned to commercial service
MagnificentLight carrierCATOBARCompleted for Canada as . Returned to UK 1956.
CVL-21Light carrierCATOBAR1948–1956Ex-HMS Magnificent. Returned to UK 1956.
R77Light carrierCATOBARCompleted for Australia as .
CVE-91Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Ulitaka Bay.
CVE-93Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Woodcliff Bay.
D93Fleet carrierCATOBAROrdered 1943 but never laid down.
CVE-61Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Bucareli Bay.
CVE-77Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Kanalku Bay.
CVE-101Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Dolomi Bay.
McClureCVE-45Escort carrierRenamed 1942 before construction began.
R21Light carrierCATOBAR1955–1982ex- completed for Royal Australian Navy.
CVE-63Escort carrierCATOBAREx-Chapin Bay. Renamed to free name for CV-41
CVB-41Fleet carrier1945–1992Museum in San Diego, CA
Minas GeraisA11Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1960–2001[29]
CVE-120Escort carrier1945–1955
Minsk
025/011Aircraft carrierVTOL1978–1993Currently a tourist attraction in Shenzhen, China.
United KingdomMAC 8Merchant aircraft carrier1944–1946 Returned to commercial service
CVE-59Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1958
Monmouth96Light carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
CVL-26Light carrier1943–1956
Mosser BayCVE-114Escort carrierRenamed Willamette after launch.
CVE-104Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Tonowek Bay.
D77Escort carrier1943–1944 Ex-. Canadian crew.
D05Escort carrier1943–1946To Netherlands as
CVE-16Escort carrier1942–1946
Nassuk BayCVE-67Escort carrierCATOBAREx-Emperor. Renamed 1943 after launch.
CVE-62Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946
CVE-74Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
D43Fleet carrierCATOBAROrdered 1943 but never laid down.
CVE-46Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
CVN-68SupercarrierCATOBAR1975–present
Novorossiysk
137Aircraft carrierVTOL1982–1993
R68Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1960
CVE-127Escort carrierLaid down 1945, cancelled before launch
CVE-79Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1945Sunk by kamikaze aircraft 4 January 1945.
OriskanyCV-18Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
CV-34Fleet carrierCATOBAR1950–1975Florida artificial reef in 2006.
Otakisan MaruEscort carrierTanker conversion. Launched 1945 but never completed.
PainlevéFleet carrierPlanned for 1938, never laid down
CVE-122Escort carrier1946–1954
D07Escort carrier1943–1947 Ex-.
CVE-47Escort carrier1943–1944 Became .
Peter StrasserFleet carrierSee Flugzeugträger B.
CVE-80Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
CV-47Fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1958
CVE-119Escort carrier1945–1956Ex-Trocadero Bay.
Polyphemus57Light carrierCATOBARNever laid down, cancelled 1945.
Portage BayCVE-115Escort carrierRenamed before construction began.
R95Light carrierCATOBARCompleted for Canada as HMCS Bonaventure
D23Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
F61Escort carrier1943–1946Converted armed merchant cruiser.
CVE-45Escort carrier Ex-McClure. Became .
R09SupercarrierSTOVL2019–presentCommissioned 10 December 2019
CVE-19Escort carrier1943–1943 Became
CVE-31Escort carrier1943–1946
CVL-23Light carrier1943–1944Sunk 24 October 1944 at Leyte Gulf
CV-37Fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1970
Principe de AsturiasR-11Aircraft carrierSTOVL1988–2013
CVE-113Escort carrier1945–1946Ex-Hobart Bay.
D79Escort carrier1944–1946 Ex-. Canadian crew.
D73Escort carrier1942–1946 Ex-.
CVE-34Escort carrier1943–1943 Became .
D19Escort carrier1943–1947 Ex-.
Queen ElizabethCVA-01Fleet carrierCATOBARAnnounced 1963, cancelled 1966 before work started.
R08SupercarrierSTOVL2017–presentCommissioned 7 December 2017
CVE-121Escort carrierCompleted but never commissioned.
D10Escort carrier1943–1947 Ex-.
CV-15Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1969
D03Escort carrier1943–1947 Ex-.
CV-4Fleet carrier1934–1946
CV-61SupercarrierCATOBAR1957–1993
MAC 9Merchant aircraft carrier1942–1946 Returned to commercial service
D70Escort carrier1943–1946
D82Escort carrier1944–1946 Ex-.
CVE-114Escort carrier1945–1955Ex-Willamette.
ReprisalCVL-30Light carrierRenamed 1942 before launch.
CV-35Fleet carrierCATOBARStarted 1944, cancelled 1945.
RichelieuFleet carrierRenamed Charles De Gaulle before construction began.
Richelieu (PA2)Modified SupercarrierCATOBARCancelled 2013 before construction began.
RigaFleet carrierRenamed Leonid Brezhnev after construction began in 1982.
RigaAircraft carrierRenamed to Varyag in 1990 after construction began.
CVE-103Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Alava Bay.
CVN-76SupercarrierCATOBAR2003–present
CVE-81Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
D72Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
data-sort-value="Ryuho"Light carrier1942–1945Converted submarine tender. Severely damage by aircraft March 1945 not repaired
data-sort-value="Ryujo"Light carrier1933–1942Sunk by aircraft during Battle of the Eastern Solomons
IX-81Training carrier1943–1945Converted paddle-wheel steamer.
CVE-82Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
CVE-117Escort carrier1945–1947Ex-Saltery Bay.
CVL-48Light carrier1946–1965
CVE-96Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Anguilla Bay.
CVE-110Escort carrier1945–1954Ex-Winjah Bay.
Saltery BayCVE-117Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before construction began.
San Alberto BayCVE-116Escort carrierRenamed before construction began.
CVL-30Light carrier1943–1947Ex-Reprisal (CVL-30).
Sandy BayCVE-118Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before construction began.
CVE-26Escort carrier1942–1945Converted oiler.
CVE-29Escort carrier1942–1946Converted oiler.
data-sort-value="Sao Paulo"A12Fleet carrierCATOBAR2000–2017Ex-.
CV-3Fleet carrier1927–1946Expended as a target ship in the 1946 Bikini atomic bomb tests.
CV-60SupercarrierCATOBAR1956–1994
CVE-83Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
CVE-78Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946Ex-Kaita Bay.
D40Escort carrier1943–1945
D21Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CVE-84Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
17Type 002Aircraft carrierSTOBAR2019–presentFirst domestically built Chinese aircraft carrier.
CV-38Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1971
Escort carrier1945–1945Tanker conversion. Sunk by British aircraft.
Fleet carrier1944–1944Converted . Sunk by 29 November 1944.
Escort carrier1943–1944Converted ocean liner, sunk by on 17 November 1944.
CVE-85Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
data-sort-value="Shoho"Light carrier1941–1942Sunk by aircraft at Coral Sea
data-sort-value="Shokaku"Fleet carrier1941–1944Sunk by 19 June 1944
CVE-112Escort carrier1945–1956Ex-Frosty Bay.
CVE-118Escort carrier1945–1954Ex-Sandy Bay.
CVE-86Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
1950–1954
D26Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
D55Escort carrier1944–1946 Ex-.
CVE-67Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Nassuk Bay.
data-sort-value="Soryu"Fleet carrier1937–1942Sunk at Midway 4 June 1942
Aircraft carrierEx-Falco, never completed.
D90Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CVE-49Escort carrier Became .
St. Andrews BayCVE-107Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before launch.
CVE-17Escort carrier Became
CVE-50Escort carrier Became .
St. Joseph BayCVE-105Escort carrierRenamed 1944 after launch.
CVE-63Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1944Ex-, renamed to use name for CV-41. Sunk by kamikaze aircraft 25 October 1944.
CVE-51Escort carrier Became .
D91Escort carrier1942–1945 Ex-.
CVE-87Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1947
D12Escort carrier1943–1946 ex-.
CVE-48Escort carrier Became .
Sunset BayEscort carrierSome sources say the name was Sunset. Renamed 1944 before launch.
CVE-27Escort carrier1942–1946Converted oiler.
R17Light carrierCATOBAR1948–1958ex- completed for Royal Australian Navy.
Fleet carrier1944–1944Sunk in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 19 June 1944
Taisha MaruEscort carrierProposed tanker conversion. Cancelled 1944.
Escort carrier1941–1944Converted ocean liner. Sunk by 18 August 1944
CVE-89Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1946
Tananek BayCVE-88Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
CV-40Fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1960
Tbilisi113Aircraft cruiserex-Leonid Brezhnev. Renamed Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Sozuya Kuznetzov 1990.
R93Light carrierCATOBARCompleted for Australia as .
D48Escort carrier1943–1945 Ex-.
CVN-71SupercarrierCATOBAR1986–present
R64Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1956
CVE-90Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1964
TiconderogaCV-19Fleet carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before launch.
CV-14Fleet carrierCATOBAR1944–1973Ex-Hancock (CV-14).
CVE-123Escort carrierCompleted 1946, but never commissioned
Tonowek BayCVE-104Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
Totem BayCVE-111Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before launch.
D24Escort carrier1943–1946
TrailerD80Escort carrier1943–1943 Ex-. Renamed to 1943.
CVE-64Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1958Ex-Didrickson Bay.
R16Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1975
Trocadero BayCVE-119Escort carrierRenamed 1944 before construction began.
D85Escort carrier1944–1946 Ex-.
D09Escort carrier1943–1946 Ex-.
CVE-72Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Fortaleza Bay.
18Type 003SupercarrierCATOBARFitting out. Planned for commission in 2023.
Type 004Type 004SupercarrierCATOBARUnder preliminary stages of construction. Planned for commission by late 2020s.
Ulitaka BayCVE-91Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
UlyanovskSupercarrierCATOBAREx-Kremlin. Under construction 1988–1991, never completed.
I72Light aircraft carrier,
Aircraft repair ship		1943–1946, 1949–1953
CVA-58SupercarrierCATOBARLaid down 18 April 1949, cancelled five days later.
United StatesCVN-75SupercarrierCATOBARRenamed 1992 after launch.
Fleet carrier1944–1944Sunk by on 19 December 1944
Escort carrier1942–1944Sunk by 17 September 1944
CV-45Fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1970
VaryagAircraft carrierEx-Riga. To Ukraine 1992 while still under construction. Construction cancelled 1995. To China as Liaoning 1998.
Veinticinco de MayoV-2Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1968–1997Ex-Dutch Karel Doorman (R81) 1969.
CVE-111Escort carrier1945–1946Ex-Totem Bay.
R63Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1947To Netherlands as 1948.
R71Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1952
R71Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1952–1955 On loan from the Royal Navy
VerdunAttack carrierNever laid down, cancelled 1961
CVE-52Escort carrier Became .
Vermillion BayCVE-108Escort carrierRenamed 1943 before construction began.
R38Fleet carrierCATOBAR1941–1968
R33Aircraft carrierSTOBAR2013–presentex-Russian Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Suzuya Gorshkov.
R11Light fleet carrierCATOBAR / STOVL1961–1997Ex- completed for India.
IAC-IAircraft carrierSTOBARCommissioned in 2022
D15Escort carrier1943–1947
R22Fleet carrierSTOVL1987–2017ex-.
IAC-IISupercarrierPlanned. Scheduled to commission in 2025.
CVE-65Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Dolomi Bay.
R31Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1946–1948Ex-. Returned to UK.
R31Light fleet carrierCATOBAR1945–1946, 1948–1958To Canada as . Returned to UK and thence to Argentina as Independencia.
CV-7Light carrier1940–1942Sunk 15 September 1942.
CV-18Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1972Ex-Oriskany.
WeserAircraft carrier1942–1943 cruiser conversion, never completed.
CVE-66Escort carrierCATOBAR1943–1946Ex-Elbour Bay.
WillametteCVE-114Escort carrierEx-Mosser Bay. Renamed at commissioning.
CVE-53Escort carrier1943–1944 Became .
Willapa BayCVE-109Escort carrierRenamed 1944 after construction began.
CVE-92Escort carrierCATOBAR1944–1959
CVE-54Escort carrier Became .
Winjah BayCVE-110Escort carrierRenamed 1943 before construction began.
IX-64Training carrier1942–1945Converted paddle-wheel steamer.
Woodcliff BayCVE-93Escort carrierCATOBARRenamed 1943 before construction began.
CVL-49Light carrier1947–1970
Yamashiro MaruEscort carrier1945–1945Tanker conversion. Sunk by aircraft 17 February 1945
CV-5Aircraft carrier1937–1942Sunk 7 June 1942 at Midway after air and sub attacks.
CV-10Fleet carrierCATOBAR1943–1970Ex-Bon Homme Richard. Museum at Mount Pleasant, SC
Light carrier1940–1944Converted oiler, sunk by aircraft at Leyte Gulf 25 October 1944
Fleet carrier1941–1944Sunk by aircraft at Leyte Gulf 25 October 1944
Zuiun MaruYamashiro MaruEscort carrier1945 tanker conversion, never completed.

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: China unveils first aircraft carrier to enter service . 25 September 2012 . . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141022024939/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/25/china-unveils-first-aircraft-carrier-to-enter-service/ . 22 October 2014 . live .
  2. News: China, Sending a Signal, Launches a Home-Built Aircraft Carrier . Chris . Buckley . 25 April 2017 . . 26 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180308221607/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/world/asia/china-aircraft-carrier.html . 8 March 2018 . live .
  3. Web site: Reporter . Aadil Brar China News . 2024-01-03 . China releases new images of third aircraft carrier Fujian . 2024-02-09 . Newsweek . en.
  4. Web site: French WW1 ASW vessels. 2019-05-16. naval encyclopedia. en-US. 2020-01-15.
  5. Carl Dreessen: "Die deutsche Flottenrüstung." Mittler & Sohn. Hamburg 2000. p. 101
  6. Book: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1922-1946 . 9780870219139 . Gardiner . Robert . 1984 . Naval Institute Press .
  7. Web site: 28 May 2015. INS Vikrant to be ready by 2018, says Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180501094615/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indigenous-aircraft-carrier-to-be-ready-by-2018-navy-chief-291430-2015-05-28. 1 May 2018. 2 March 2016. India Today.
  8. Web site: Suciu . Peter . 2022-07-28 . INS Vikrant: India's New Aircraft Carrier Has Arrived . 2022-08-02 . 19FortyFive . en-US.
  9. Web site: Navy's Dream of Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Suffers a Hit; BARC Says it Will Take 15-20 Years . 27 October 2017 . . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180509100544/http://www.india.com/news/india/ins-vishal-not-be-nuclear-powered-as-barc-says-15-years-will-be-needed-to-develop-reactor-2571054/ . 9 May 2018 . live .
  10. Web site: MULTIROLE LANDING HELICOPTER DOCK (LHD). https://web.archive.org/web/20170215234123/https://www.fincantieri.com/en/products-and-services/naval-vessels/multirole-lhd/ . 15 February 2017 . live .
  11. Web site: Lockie. Alex. Japan unveiled new plans for an F-35 aircraft carrier – and it's a Chinese navy killer. 2019-12-28. Business Insider.
  12. Web site: Sutton. H. I.. Japan To Get First Aircraft Carriers Since World War II. 2019-12-27. Forbes. en.
  13. News: Yoshida. Reiji. 2019-05-23. Japan's plan to remodel Izumo-class carriers: Needed upgrade or mere show of force?. en-US. The Japan Times Online. 2019-12-27. 0447-5763.
  14. Web site: Axe . David . The Russian Navy's Only Aircraft Carrier Is Stuck In Overhaul. So Her MiG-29 Fighters Have Gone To War In Ukraine. . 2024-07-15 . Forbes . en.
  15. Web site: 2015-12-19 . Russia developing Shtorm supercarrier IHS Jane's 360 . 2024-11-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151219002358/http://www.janes.com/article/51452/russia-developing-shtorm-supercarrier . 19 December 2015 .
  16. Book: Busquets . C. . Campanera . A. . Coello . J. L. . Los portaaviones españoles . Agualarga Editores . 1994 . 84-88959-02-8 . es.
  17. Book: William M. . Carpenter . David G. . Wiencek . Asian Security Handbook . . . 2000 . 302 . 978-0-76560-714-0.
  18. Web site: Uçak Gemisi Olan Ülkeleri Öğrenelim. 2017-11-23. 2020 Güncel Bilgi. tr. 2020-04-24.
  19. Web site: Tayfun . Ozberk . Turkey's future LHD Anadolu Starts Sea Trials . Naval News . 28 February 2022 . 9 March 2022.
  20. Web site: Turkish Navy Accepts Delivery Of Its Flagship, TCG ANADOLU. 2023-03-05. Naval News. en. 2023-03-09.
  21. Book: Hobbs, David. British Aircraft Carriers: Design, Development and Service Histories. 2013. Seaforth Publishing. Barnsley, UK. 978-1-84832-138-0. 215.
  22. Web site: America Class Amphibious Assault Ship . Military Today . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180502061635/http://www.military-today.com/navy/america_class.htm . 2 May 2018 . live .
  23. Converted oil tanker with deck but no hangar or lifts, active as merchant ship. Aircraft stored on deck.
  24. Transferred to the United Kingdom under the Lend Lease program. Returned to the US after World War II ended.
  25. Transferred from the United States under the Lend Lease program.
  26. Transferred from the United States under the Lend Lease program. Returned to the US after World War II ended.
  27. Nuclear-powered.
  28. Converted Grain carrier with added deck and hangar, still carried cargo but reduced capacity.
  29. loaned to Australia from 1952 to 1956 as, sold to Brazil 1956 as Minas Gerais.

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