A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. It has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like [1] of the Royal Navy (RN), or extend only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's [2] or in the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A. It often also has a hangar deck for the storage and maintenance of rotorwing aircraft.
Pure helicopter carriers are difficult to define in the 21st century. The advent of STOVL aircraft such as the Harrier jump jet, and now the F-35, have complicated the classification; the United States Navy's, for instance, carries six to eight Harriers as well as over 20 helicopters.[3] 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 carriers". Other vessels, such as the Wasp class, are also capable of embarking troops such as marines and landing them ashore; they are classified as amphibious assault ships.
Helicopter carriers have been used as anti-submarine warfare carriers and amphibious assault ships.[4]
and two of her sisters were 22,000 ton fleet carriers converted to "commando carriers" only able to operate helicopters. Hermes was later converted to a STOVL carrier.
| Country | Navy | In service | In reserve | Under construction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3 | 1 | 1 (4 planned) | |||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 0 | 0 | 0 (4 planned total) | |||
| 2 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 0 | 0 | 2 (3 planned total) | |||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 9 | 3 | 2 (11 planned total) |
| Country | Name | Length | Tonnage (mt) | Class | Propulsion | Type | Classification | Commission | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 230.82m (757.28feet) | 27,500 mt | (modified) | Conventional | STOVL | Landing helicopter dock | |||
| Australia | 230.82m (757.28feet) | 27,500 mt | (modified) | Conventional | STOVL | Landing helicopter dock | |||
 Brazil | 203.4m (667.3feet) | 21,500 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Multipurpose helicopter carrier | [5] | |||
 China | Hainan | 232m (761feet) | 36,000 tonnes (full load) | Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class) | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | 23 April 2021[6] | |
| China | Guangxi | 232m (761feet) | 36,000 tonnes (full load) | Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class) | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | 26 December 2021 [7] [8] [9] | |
| China | Anhui | 232m (761feet) | 36,000 tonnes (full load) | Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class) | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | 1 October 2022[10] [11] | |
| China | Shichang | 125m (410feet) | 9,500 mt | Type 0891A | Conventional | VTOL | Training ship | ||
 Egypt | 199m (653feet) | 21,300 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | [12] | |||
| Egypt | 199m (653feet) | 21,300 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
 France | 199m (653feet) | 21,300 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| France | 199m (653feet) | 21,300 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| France | 199m (653feet) | 21,300 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
 Japan | 248m (814feet) | 27,000 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Helicopter destroyer | ||||
| Japan | 248m (814feet) | 27,000 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Helicopter destroyer | ||||
| Japan | 197m (646feet)[13] | 19,000 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Helicopter destroyer | ||||
| Japan | 197m (646feet) | 19,000 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Helicopter destroyer | ||||
| 199m (653feet) | 18,800 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing platform helicopter | |||||
| 199m (653feet) | 18,800 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing platform helicopter | 28 June 2021 | ||||
 Spain | 230.82m (757.28feet) | 27,079 mt | Conventional | STOVL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
 Thailand | 182.65m (599.25feet) | 11,486 mt | Conventional | STOVL | Helicopter carrier (Light aircraft carrier) | ||||
| Anadolu | 232 m (761 ft) | 27,079 mt | Anadolu | Conventional | STOVL | Landing Helicopter Dock | 10 April 2023 | ||
 United States | 257.3m (844.2feet) | 45,000 mt | [14] | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter assault | [15] | ||
| United States | 257.3m (844.2feet) | 45,000 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter assault | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,532 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,650 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,500 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,722 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,358 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 257m (843feet) | 40,530 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock | ||||
| United States | 258m (846feet) | 41,649 mt | Conventional | VTOL | Landing helicopter dock |
(United States Navy) – landing helicopter dock, active 1998–2020
(Italian Navy) - an Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1989