Timeline for aircraft carrier service explained

Aircraft carriers have their origins during the days of World War I. The earliest experiments consisted of fitting temporary "flying off" platforms to the gun turrets of the warships of several nations, notably the United States and the United Kingdom. The first ship to be modified with a permanent flight deck was the battlecruiser, which initially had a single flying-off deck forward of the original superstructure. Subsequently, she was modified with a separate "landing on" deck aft and later with a full flush deck. Other ships, often liners, were modified to have full flush flight decks, being the first to have such modification begun. Those first faltering steps gave little indication of just how important the aircraft carrier was to prove to be. During the inter-war years (between the World Wars), Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States built up significant carrier fleets so that by the beginning of World War II, they had 18 carriers between them. The 1940 Battle of Taranto and 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor in retrospect showed the world that the aircraft carrier was to be the most important ship in the modern fleet. Today, aircraft carriers are the capital ships of the navies they serve in, and in the case of modern US "supercarriers", they embark an air group that is effectively a small air force.

This timeline is an attempt to provide a unified chronology of key dates in carrier service. Aircraft carriers often serve their navies for many decades and this chronology enables the reader to track the progress of the carrier as it has developed alongside the evolution of aircraft for nearly a hundred years.

Pre-carrier history

1849

1907

1910

1911

1912

World War I

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

Between the wars

1919

1920–1929

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930–1939

1930

1931

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

World War II

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

Post-war 1945–1949

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

1950–1959

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960–1969

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970–1979

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980–1989

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990–1999

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000–2009

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010–2019

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020–present

2020

2021

2022

2023

See also

Footnotes

For most carriers, the dates listed here are those when the carrier was laid down, launched, commissioned, decommissioned and disposed of. If the carrier was a conversion from another ship, then the first date listed is when she was taken in hand to be converted; however, if a carrier was subsequently redesignated, its history is followed until disposal. The first time a ship is named in the list, it is linked to the relevant page within Wikipedia; if the ship was renamed, the first instance of the new name is also linked. Additionally, key relevant historical dates are interspersed with the ship-related dates to provide context.

For the purposes of this timeline, an aircraft carrier is a commissioned naval ship with at least one permanent flush deck designed for the launch and recovery of fixed-wing aircraft. This timeline does not include ships with temporary landing or take-off platforms, vessels designed for helicopter operations, marine assault ships of various designs, catapult ships, WWII escort carriers, merchant aircraft carriers, CAM ships, nor seaplane carriers and tenders.

The timeline is mainly divided into decades, the exceptions being the two World Wars and the interwar period, which are each treated as separate blocks. For the purposes of this list, the First World War is considered to have started on 28 June 1914 and ended 11 November 1918, while the Second World War is considered to have started on 1 September 1939 and ended 14 August 1945.

The actual text of the message from the First Lord of the Admiralty to the Wright Brothers, dated 7 March 1907, taken from The Old Flying Days by Charles Cyril Turner, p. 293, was:

Citations

uss kitty hawk citation 1980–1981

References

Books

Articles

Web Sites

 

Other

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Carriers: Airpower at Sea – The Early Years / Part 1 . 2007-08-03 . Arnold E. . van Beverhoudt, Jr. . 2003-01-01 . sandcastlevi.com . Sandcastle VI .
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=7pS1QpH8FRgC&dq=Vulcano+balloon+venice&pg=PA10 Military Aircraft, Origins to 1918
  3. Australian Naval Aviation Museum (1998), p.2
  4. The early years, USN official web site
  5. Sturtivant (1990), p.8
  6. Sturtivant (1990), p.215
  7. Chesneau (1998), p.79
  8. 269 Squadron History: 1914–1923
  9. H. M. Friedman and A. K. Friedman (2006)
  10. Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association web site
  11. Chesneau (1998), pp.89–90
  12. HMS Furious 1917, RN official web site
  13. Chesneau (1998), pp.92–93
  14. Chesneau (1998), pp.95–96
  15. Langley I (AC-3).
  16. Chesneau (1998), pp.157–158
  17. Chesneau (1998), pp.159–160
  18. Chesneau (1998), pp61-75
  19. Chesneau (1998), pp.161–162
  20. Chesneau (1998), pp.97–99
  21. Sturtivant (1990), p.12
  22. Sturtivant (1990), p.14
  23. Chesneau (1998), pp.163–164
  24. Sturtivant (1990), p.17
  25. Chesneau (1998), pp.206–210
  26. Chesneau (1998), pp.165–166
  27. Chesneau (1998), pp.100–103
  28. Chesneau (1998), pp.76–77
  29. Chesneau (1998), pp.103–107
  30. Chesneau (1998), pp.171–172
  31. Chesneau (1998), pp.169–171
  32. Emmerlich, R, Kriegsmarine Ships: Aircraft Carrier
  33. Chesneau (1998), pp.128–129
  34. Chesneau (1998), pp.117–118
  35. Chesneau (1998), pp.175–176
  36. Birch
  37. Chesneau (1998), p.153
  38. Chesneau (1998), pp.220–231
  39. Ireland (2007), p.119
  40. Chesneau (1998), pp.232–236
  41. Chesneau (1998), pp.179–180
  42. Chesneau (1998), pp.173
  43. DANFS, United States Navy
  44. Chesneau (1998), pp.129–133
  45. Chesneau (1998), pp.182–184
  46. Chesneau (1998), pp.134–139
  47. HMAS Vengeance, Sea Power Centre
  48. Chesneau (1998), pp.177–178
  49. Hall (1982), p.69
  50. HMAS Sydney (III), Sea Power Centre
  51. A-Z list of the Aircraft Carriers, fleetairarmarchive.net
  52. Chesneau (1998), p.134
  53. Chesneau (1998), pp.167–168
  54. Chesneau (1998), p.178
  55. Chesneau (1998), pp.255–260
  56. Chesneau (1998), pp.140–145
  57. McCart (1990)
  58. Chesneau (1998), pp.85–88
  59. https://web.archive.org/web/20081203215015/http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Postwar/Carriers/colossus.htm Colossus Class Light Fleet Aircraft Carriers
  60. Chesneau (1998), p.185
  61. Murfett (2008), p.435
  62. Chesneau (1998), pp.140–146
  63. KIDO BUTAI!, Combinedfleet.com
  64. Sturtivant (1990), p.216
  65. Hall (1982), p.70
  66. Naval-History.net
  67. Chesneau (1998), pp.58–60
  68. Chesneau (1998), pp.188–189
  69. Sturtivant (1990), p.178
  70. Sturtivant (1990), p.179
  71. Bishop & Chant (2004), p.51
  72. Cassells (2000), p.84
  73. HMAS Melbourne (II), Sea Power Centre
  74. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.796
  75. Chesneau (1998), p.152
  76. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.220
  77. CV CLEMENCEAU (R 98), French Fleet Air Arm
  78. The HMS Warrior Story, Ministry Of Defence web site
  79. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.798
  80. Chesneau (1998), p.50
  81. Chesneau (1998), p.67
  82. CV FOCH (R 99), French Fleet Air Arm
  83. Chesneau (1998), p.57
  84. USS Enterprise CVN-65, USN Official Web Site
  85. Sturtivant (1990), p.196
  86. Chesneau (1998), p.196
  87. Chesneau (1998), p.68
  88. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.793
  89. Chesneau (1998), pp.50–51
  90. Bishop & Chant (2004), pp.62–63
  91. Chesneau (1998), pp.192–195
  92. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.754
  93. Minsk, maritimequest.com
  94. Novorossiysk, maritimequest.com
  95. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.293
  96. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.632
  97. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.344
  98. Ireland (2007), p.133
  99. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.568
  100. Ireland (2007), p.147
  101. Polmar (1991), pp.136–137
  102. Chesneau (1998), p.8
  103. Baku, maritimequest.com
  104. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.218
  105. Rose (2007), p.284
  106. Cabot, maritimequest.com
  107. Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov, maritimequest.com
  108. Hiranandani (2006)
  109. SinoDefence.com
  110. Kiev, maritimequest.com
  111. Jane's Fighting Ships 2000–2001, p.689
  112. Ireland (2007), p.152
  113. Tembhekar (2010), The Times of India
  114. 25 de Mayo, GlobalSecurity.com
  115. France hands over aircraft carrier to Brazil, CNN.com
  116. Ireland (2007), p.128
  117. Cavour — Light multirole Aircraft Carrier, digilander.libero.it
  118. Minas Gerais, Global Security
  119. Naval Vessel Register, US Navy
  120. Official Web Site of Pre Commissioning Unit George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), US Navy
  121. Kiev Class Overview, maritimequest.com
  122. Indian Aircraft Carrier (Project-71), Bharat Rakshak
  123. America's Final Mission, The USS America Carrier Veteran's Association
  124. LHD Juan Carlos I, Armada Española official web site
  125. The Carrier List, USN official web site
  126. HMS Invincible, Royal Navy official web site
  127. NavyTimes, 26 February 2008
  128. NAVY.mil, USN Official Web Site, 12 January 2009
  129. NAVY.mil, USN Official Web Site, 12 May 2009
  130. Royal Navy News, 7 July 2009
  131. http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/11/navy_carrier_keel_laying_111309w/ "Keel laid for newest Navy aircraft carrier"
  132. Armada Española Navy News, 30 September 2010
  133. BBC News, 11 March 2011
  134. UK Ministry of Defence, 26 May 2011
  135. Hille, 2011
  136. Radyuhin, V., 8 June 2012
  137. Bodeen, The China Post, 26 September 2012
  138. Times of India, 10 October 2012
  139. Vergakis
  140. Web site: El Príncipe de Asturias despide en Rota al portaaviones que lleva su nombre . www.diariosigloxxi.com . 6 February 2012.
  141. Times of India, 12 August 2013
  142. Web site: Navy floods dry dock around USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier ahead of Nov. 9 christening . Garret . Ellison . Michigan Live . 15 October 2013.
  143. Web site: Indian Navy gets INS Vikramaditya as it seeks to bolster defence capabilities . . 16 November 2013.
  144. U.K. Carrier Floated For The First Time . 17 July 2014 . Tony . Osborne . Aviation Week.
  145. Kennedy, 28 August 2014
  146. Web site: Desmobilização do NAe 'São Paulo' (A 12) . 14 February 2017 . Defesa Aérea & Naval.
  147. Web site: INS Viraat bows out of service. 6 March 2017 . The Hindu.
  148. Jane's 360, 23 March 2017
  149. Web site: Supercarrier USS Gerald R Ford starts sea trials. 9 April 2017.
  150. CBNC, 26 April 2017
  151. BBC News, 27 June 2017
  152. Allison, George (28 August 2017)
  153. Web site: Ordem do Dia sobre a Mostra de Armamento do PHM Atlântico . 29 June 2018 . Poder Naval.
  154. News: . Commissioning day for HMS Prince of Wales . Royal Navy . Portsmouth . 10 December 2019 . 11 December 2019.
  155. Web site: 2021-08-15 . New Landing Helicopter Dock LHD Trieste for Italian Navy conducts sea trials . 2022-05-10 . Navy Recognition . https://web.archive.org/web/20211029055549/https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/naval-news/naval-news-archive/2021/august/10566-new-landing-helicopter-dock-lhd-trieste-for-italian-navy-conducts-sea-trials.html . 2021-10-29.
  156. Web site: Ozberk . Tayfun . 2022-02-28 . Turkey's future LHD Anadolu Starts Sea Trials . 2022-05-10 . Naval News . https://web.archive.org/web/20220309194604/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/02/turkeys-future-lhd-anadolu-starts-sea-trials/ . 2022-03-09.