Class overview
Builders:	Changxingdao Shipyard, Shanghai
Operators:	People's Liberation Army Navy
In service:	2015-2020 (projected)[1][2][3]
Planned:	2-5[2][4]
General characteristics
Type:	aircraft carrier
Displacement:	est. 50,000–60,000 tons[2] (conventional)
Length:	300 meters
Aircraft carried:	Shenyang J-15/Chinese Naval Flanker?[5]

Since the 1970s, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has expressed interest in operating an aircraft carrier as part of its blue water aspirations, and press reports have frequently quoted senior Chinese military officials as expressing an intention to build aircraft carriers.^[3] On 7 June 2011, People's Liberation Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde confirmed that China was constructing at least one indigenously-designed aircraft carrier,^[6] with local media reporting that two hulls may currently be under construction.

Since 1985, China has acquired four retired aircraft carriers for study, the Australian HMAS Melbourne and the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk, Kiev and Varyag. Reports state that two 50,000-60,000 ton Type 089 aircraft carriers based on the Varyag, are due to be finished by 2015.^[2] Sukhoi Su-33s (navalized Flankers) are the aircraft most likely to be flown from these carriers,^[7] but China is also developing its own multirole fighter, the Shenyang J-15.^[8]

Acquisition of retired aircraft carriers[link]

Chinese shipyards have gained some exposure to carrier design with the acquisition of retired hulls such as the Australian HMAS Melbourne acquired in 1985. Through various ventures, China has also purchased the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk^[9] and Kiev. These carriers have become floating amusement parks for tourists.

There had been other plans to purchase foreign second-hand carriers in the past. For example a possible deal between China and France for the sale of the Clemenceau fell through in 1997.^[10]

[edit] ex-Varyag

Varyag

The 67,500 ton ex-Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag (Admiral Kuznetsov class), which was only 70% completed and floating in Ukraine, was purchased through a private Macau tourist venture in 1998. Following her troublesome tow to Dalian shipyard, the carrier has undergone a long refit. Varyag had been stripped of any military equipment as well as her propulsion systems prior to being put up for sale. News reports state that she is being fitted out to enter operational status.^[2][11]

On 10 August 2011, it was announced that the refurbishment of Varyag was complete, and that it was undergoing sea trials.^[12][13]

On December 14, 2011, DigitalGlobe, and American Satellite imaging company announced that while scouring through pictures taken December 8th, they had discovered the retrofitted Varyag performing maneuvers, DigitalGlobe elaborated that their images capture the ship in the Yellow Sea where it performed for 5 days. ^[14]

[edit] ex-Kiev

Several days after ex-Varyag went on its first-sea-trial in August 2011, ex-Kiev welcomed guests in its new role as a luxury hotel with a £9.6 million ($15.6 million) refit. The owners believe that China's naval ambitions as well as a general curiosity about aircraft carriers will result in public interest.^[15]

Acquisition of designs[link]

In addition to the acquisition of retired aircraft carriers of foreign navies, the PLAN has been actively purchasing foreign aircraft carrier designs as well. One such example was its effort to purchase the blueprints for proposed conventional take off/landing ships from Empresa Nacional Bazan of Spain; the 23,000 ton SAC-200 and the 25,000 ton SAC-220 designs. Negotiations started between 1995 - 1996 but it did not result in any purchase. However, the Spanish firm was paid several million US dollars in consulting fees, indicating the probable transfer of some design concepts.^[10]

After the Spanish firm had submitted its findings, Russian warship designer Nevskoye Design Bureau completed an aircraft carrier design for China in the late 1990s to meet the Chinese requirement but neither Russia nor China disclosed the price. Neither did the two countries reveal any information on whether China was satisfied with the design or not. In any case, no aircraft carriers based on the design were built, as limited Chinese industrial capabilities in the late-1990s made it impractical for China to start any construction of aircraft carriers.

A complete set of blueprints of a foreign aircraft carrier design was obtained by China when it purchased the decommissioned Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev. Russia insisted on China buying the blueprints as well for a higher price, but neither country has revealed the exact dollar value. However, based on the official information released by the Chinese government on aircraft carriers, all of which dictates conventional design, the V/STOL design does not appear to fit the Chinese requirement.

The complete set of blueprints of a foreign aircraft carrier design obtained by China when it purchased the incomplete Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag is the most recent purchase. Ukraine urged China to increase the original $18 million bid to include additional purchase of the complete set of blueprints of the design, and after negotiations, China agreed to pay another $2 million to purchase the complete set of blueprints. According to the memoir of Chinese embassy staff members who participated in the process, the blueprints reached China before the ship. This conventional design offers more capability than smaller, V/STOL designs.

In February 2011, Ukraine sentenced a Russian national to six years in prison for stealing secrets to assist China in its carrier program. According to the Ukraine, Aleksandr Yermakov was being paid by Chinese authorities to steal military secrets related to carrier operations from the Land-based Naval Aviation Testing and Training Complex, located in the Crimea near the city of Saki.^[16]

Early plans[link]

The first official plan of PLAN aircraft carrier dated back on March 31, 1987 when the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense approved the plan on the aircraft carrier and the next generation nuclear submarine for PLAN submitted by the then commander-in-chief of PLAN, Liu Huaqing. The original plan was to be progressed in stages, with basic research to be completed by the end of the 7th 5-year plan, and development of the platform and aircraft to be completed by the end of the 8th 5-year plan. By 2000, construction was to begin when ordered.

To prepare the commanders needed for the future aircraft carriers, the Central Military Commission approved the program of training jet fighter pilots to be future captains in May 1987, and the Guangzhou Naval Academy (广州舰艇学院) was selected as the site.^[10]

However, Liu Huaqing’s plan proved to be too ambitious as the domestic Chinese industry at the time could not meet the goal demanded by the plan. As a result, the plan was drastically scaled back to basic research level and the date for an aircraft carrier entering PLAN service was postponed and eventually put on hold. In the meantime, pilot candidates for warship captain training was also altered, with candidates switched to ship-borne helicopter pilots, because it was considered that naval helicopter pilots with much more ship-borne aviation experience would be better prepared than the land-based jet fighter pilots who lack ship-borne aviation experience.

Current status[link]

In mid-2007, Chinese domestic sources revealed that China had purchased a total of four sets of aircraft carrier landing systems from Russia^[17] and this was confirmed by Russian manufacturers. However, experts disagreed on the usage of these systems: while some have claimed that it is a clear evidence of the construction of an aircraft carrier, others claim these systems are used to train pilots for a future ship. In August, 2008, Mr. Huang Qiang (黄强), the speaker of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced to the public at a news conference that China had mastered all of the technologies for an aircraft carrier, and would build aircraft carriers in the future when time was deemed right. The strongest proof of a Chinese aircraft carrier also appeared in 2008, from an official Chinese governmental source when the training program of jet fighter pilots for warship captains were resumed: PLA Daily (解放军报) published the news of Dalian Naval Academy (大连舰艇学院) accepting a total of 50 jet fighter pilots for warship captain training in 2008, and in comparison to the first class that was held more than one and half a decade ago at Guangzhou Naval Academy (广州舰艇学院), the training has been lengthened to four years. Resumption of this plan is viewed by foreign observers and military analysts as another step in preparation for an aircraft carrier entering service.

There are also some media reports of a possibility of China building nuclear powered aircraft carriers,^[18][19] however the U.S. Department of Defense 2011 Chinese military assessment makes no mention of possible nuclear powered aircraft carrier development.^[20] According to the Nippon News Network (NNN), research and development on the planned carriers is being carried out at a military research facility in Wuhan. NNN states that the actual carriers will be constructed at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.^[21] Kanwa Intelligence Review reports that the second carrier to be constructed will likely be assigned to Qingdao.^[22]

It was also reported in 2009 that the Brazilian Navy will train PLA naval officers in carrier operations in exchange for assistance on nuclear submarine technology and additional funding.^{[23][unreliable source?]}

According to a February 2011 report in the The Daily Telegraph, the Chinese military has constructed a concrete aircraft carrier flight deck to use for training carrier pilots and carrier operations personnel. The deck was constructed on top of a government building near Wuhan (Wuhan Technical College of Communication campus next to Huangjiahu).^[24]

On 7 June 2011, People's Liberation Army Chief of the General Staff Chen Bingde confirmed that China was constructing its own aircraft carrier. He stated he would provide no further details until it was complete.^[6]

On July 30, 2011, a senior researcher of the Academy of Military Sciences said China needed at least three aircraft carriers. "If we consider our neighbours, India will have three aircraft carriers by 2014 and Japan will have three carriers by 2014, so I think the number (for China) should not be less than three so we can defend our rights and our maritime interests effectively." General Luo Yuan.^[25] In July 2011, a Chinese official announced that two aircraft carriers were being built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai.^[26] On 21 May 2012, Taiwan's intelligence chief Tsai Teh-sheng told his country's parliament that China plans to build two carriers, scheduled to start construction in 2013 and 2015 and launch in 2020 and 2022 respectively.^[27]

China is also developing a carrier-based fighter aircraft, the Shenyang J-15.

See also[link]

• List of aircraft carriers in service
• Jiangnan Shipyard
• DF-21D - Chinese anti-ship ballistic missile

References[link]

External links[link]

• China / Aircraft Carrier Project, GlobalSecurity.org

v t e Ship classes of the Chinese Navy Submarines Nuclear ballistic missile Type 096 Tang class Type 094 Jin class Type 092 Xia class Nuclear attack Type 095 ??? class Type 093 Shang class Type 091 Han class Conventional ballistic missile Modified Project 629 Golf class+ Conventional attack Type 043 Qing class Type 041 Yuan class Type 039/039A/039G Song class Type 035 Ming class Type 033 Romeo class+ Project 636 Kilo II class Project 877EKM Kilo I class Principal surface combatants Aircraft carriers Future Chinese carrier* Project 1143.6 Kuznetsov class* Destroyers Type 052C Luyang II (Lanzhou) class Type 052B Luyang I (Guangzhou) class Type 052 Luhu class Type 051C Luzhou class Type 051B Luhai class Type 051DT Luda IV class Type 051G1/G2 Luda III class Type 051 Luda II class Type 051 Luda I class Project 956EM Sovremenny II class Project 956 Sovremenny I class Anshan class destroyer+ Frigates Type 054A Jiangkai II class Type 054 Jiangkai I (Ma'anshan) class Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class Type 053H2G Jiangwei I class Type 053H1G Jianghu V class Type 053HT-H Jianghu IV class Type 053H2 Jianghu III class Type 053H1 Jianghu II class Type 053 Jianghu I class Coastal warfare vessels Corvettes Type 056 Corvette class Missile boats Type 022 Houbei class Type 037-II Houjian class Type 037-IG Houxin class Type 021 Houdong class Type 021 Huangfeng (Soviet Osa-I) class Type 021 Hola class China Cat (C 14) class Type 024 Heku/Hegu/Houku/Hougu class Torpedo boats Type 025 Huchuan class P4 class Gunboats Type 062-I Shanghai III class Type 062 Shanghai II class Type 062 Shanghai I class Type 206 Huludao class Shantou class+ Beihai class+ Huangpu class+ Yulin class+ Submarine chasers Type 037-IS Haiqing class Type 037-I Haijiu class Type 062-I Haizhui class Type 037 Hainan class Kronshtadt class Amphibious warfare vessels Landing platforms Type 071 Yuzhao class amphibious transport dock Landing ships Type 072 Yukan class LST Type072-II Yuting I class LST Type 072-III Yuting II class LST Type 079 Yuliang class LSM Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class LSM Type 073 I/II/III class LSM Type 073 IV Yunshu class LSM Landing craft Yubei class LCU Type 722-II Jingsha II class LCAC Type 724 LCAC Type 271 Yupen class LCU Type 067 Yunnan class LCU Type 068/069 Yuch'in class LCM Zubr class LCAC* Minesweepers, Minelayers Type 081 Wochi class minehunter Type 082-II Wozang class minehunter Type 918 Wolei class minelayer Type 010 class oceangoing minesweeper T-43 class oceangoing minesweeper+ Type 082 Wosao class minesweeper Type 062 Fushun class coastal minesweeper+ Type 312 Futi class minesweeper / minesweeping drone * = Under construction or procurement + = Retired Ships of the Chinese Navy People's Liberation Army

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From bottom to top: Principe de Asturias, amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, USS Forrestal and light V/STOL carrier HMS Invincible, showing size differences of late 20th century carriers

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations. They have evolved from wooden vessels used to deploy balloons into nuclear-powered warships that carry dozens of fixed wing and rotary-wing aircraft.

Aircraft carriers are typically treated as the capital ship of a fleet and are extremely expensive to build and important to protect: of the nine nations which possess an aircraft carrier, six of these nations possess only one such ship each. Twenty-one aircraft carriers are currently active throughout the world with the U.S. Navy operating 11 of them as of June 2011^[update].^[1]

History[link]

From foreground to background: HMS Illustrious, USS Harry S. Truman, and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Japanese seaplane carrier Wakamiya conducted the world's first naval-launched air raids in 1914.

The 1903 advent of heavier-than-air, fixed-wing aircraft was closely followed in 1910 by the first experimental take-off of such an airplane from the deck of a United States Navy vessel (cruiser USS Birmingham), and the first experimental landings were conducted in 1911. On 4 May 1912 the first plane to take-off from a ship underway took place when Commander Charles Samson flew from the deck of HMS Hibernia. Seaplane tender support ships came next; in September 1914, the Imperial Japanese Navy Wakamiya conducted the world's first successful naval-launched air raids.^[2][3] It lowered four Maurice Farman seaplanes into the water using its crane, which were taking off to bombard German forces and could be retrieved back from surface afterwards.^[4]

The development of flat top vessels produced the first large fleet ships. In 1918, HMS Argus became the world's first carrier capable of launching and landing naval aircraft.^[5] Carrier evolution was well underway in the mid-1920s, resulting in ships such as HMS Hermes and Hōshō. Most early aircraft carriers were conversions of ships that were laid down (or had served) as different ship types: cargo ships, cruisers, battlecruisers, or battleships. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 affected aircraft carrier plans. The U.S. and UK were permitted up to 135,000 tons of carriers each, while specific exemptions on the upper tonnage of individual ships permitted conversion of capital ship hulls to carriers such as the Lexington-class aircraft carriers.

Attack on carrier USS Franklin, 19 March 1945. The casualties included 724 killed.

During the 1920s, several navies started ordering and building aircraft carriers that were specifically designed as such. This allowed the design to be specialized to their future role and resulted in superior ships. During World War II, these ships became the backbone of the carrier forces of the United States, British, and Japanese navies, known as fleet carriers.

The aircraft carrier was used extensively in World War II, and several types were created as a result. Escort aircraft carriers, such as USS Bogue, were built only during World War II. Although some were purpose-built, most were converted from merchant ships as a stop-gap measure to provide air support for convoys and amphibious invasions. Light aircraft carriers built by the US, such as USS Independence, represented a larger, more "militarized" version of the escort carrier concept. Although the light carriers usually carried the same size air groups as escort carriers, they had the advantage of higher speed since they had been converted from cruisers under construction. The UK 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier served the Royal Navy during the war and was the hull design chosen for nearly all aircraft carrier equipped navies after the war until the 1980s.

Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais (A-11) Colossus-class underway in 1984

Wartime emergencies also spurred the creation or conversion of unconventional aircraft carriers. CAM ships, like SS Michael E, were cargo-carrying merchant ships which could launch but not retrieve fighter aircraft from a catapult. These vessels were an emergency measure during World War II as were Merchant aircraft carriers (MACs), such as MV Empire MacAlpine. Submarine aircraft carriers, such as the French Surcouf and the Japanese I-400 class submarine, which was capable of carrying three Aichi M6A Seiran aircraft, were first built in the 1920s but were generally unsuccessful at war.

The Tripoli, a US Navy Iwo Jima-class helicopter carrier

Modern navies that operate such ships treat aircraft carriers as the capital ship of the fleet, a role previously played by the battleship. The change took place during World War II in response to air power becoming a significant factor in warfare. This change was driven by the superior range, flexibility and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft. Following the war, carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance. Supercarriers, displacing 75,000 tonnes or greater, have become the pinnacle of carrier development. Some are powered by nuclear reactors and form the core of a fleet designed to operate far from home. Amphibious assault ships, such as USS Tarawa and HMS Ocean, serve the purpose of carrying and landing Marines, and operate a large contingent of helicopters for that purpose. Also known as "commando carriers" or "helicopter carriers", many have a secondary capability to operate VSTOL aircraft.

Lacking the firepower of other warships, carriers by themselves are considered vulnerable to be attacked by other ships, aircraft, submarines, or missiles. Therefore, aircraft carriers are generally accompanied by a number of other ships to provide protection for the relatively unwieldy carrier, to carry supplies, and to provide additional offensive capabilities. This is often termed a battle group or carrier group, sometimes a carrier battle group.

Before World War II international naval treaties of 1922, 1930 and 1936 limited the size of capital ships including carriers. Aircraft carrier designs since World War II have been effectively unlimited by any consideration save budgetary, and the ships have increased in size to handle the larger aircraft. The large, modern Nimitz class of United States Navy carriers has a displacement nearly four times that of the World War II–era USS Enterprise, yet its complement of aircraft is roughly the same—a consequence of the steadily increasing size and weight of military aircraft over the years.

Modern significance[link]

Today's aircraft carriers are so expensive that many nations risk significant political, economic, and military ramifications if one were lost, or even used in conflict. Observers have opined that modern anti-ship weapons systems, such as torpedoes and missiles, have made aircraft carriers obsolete as too vulnerable for modern combat. Nuclear weapons would threaten whole naval carrier groups in open generalised combat. On the other hand, the proven or threatening role of aircraft carriers has an undeniably modern place in asymmetric warfare, like the gunboat diplomacy of the past. Furthermore, aircraft carriers facilitate quick and precise projections of overwhelming military power into such local and regional conflicts.^[6]

Types[link]

Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo (A12)

Italian aircraft carrier Cavour (550)

STOVL Harriers preparing to takeoff from CATOBAR carrier, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt  (CV-42)

By role[link]

A fleet carrier is intended to operate with the main fleet and usually provides an offensive capability. These are the largest carriers capable of fast speeds. By comparison escort carriers were developed to provide defense for convoys of ships. They were smaller and slower with lower numbers of aircraft carried. Most were built from mercantile hulls or, in the case of merchant aircraft carriers, were bulk cargo ships with a flight deck added on top. Light aircraft carriers were carriers that were fast enough to operate with the fleet but of smaller size with reduced aircraft capacity. Soviet aircraft carriers now in use by Russia are actually called aviation cruisers, these ships while sized in the range of large fleet carriers were designed to deploy alone or with escorts and provide both strong defensive weaponry and heavy offensive missiles equivalent to a guided missile cruiser in addition to supporting fighters and helicopters.

• Anti-submarine warfare carrier
• Helicopter carrier
• Light aircraft carrier
• Amphibious assault ship
• Seaplane tender & seaplane carriers
• Balloon carrier & balloon tenders

By configuration[link]

There are three main configurations of aircraft carrier in service in the world's navies, divided by the way in which aircraft take off and land:

• Catapult-assisted take-off but arrested-recovery (CATOBAR): these carriers generally carry the largest, heaviest, and most heavily armed aircraft, although smaller CATOBAR carriers may have other limitations (weight capacity of aircraft elevator, etc.). Three nations currently operate carriers of this type: the United States, France, and Brazil for a total of thirteen in service.
• Short take-off but arrested-recovery (STOBAR): these carriers are generally limited to carrying lighter fixed-wing aircraft with more limited payloads. STOBAR carrier airwings, such as the Sukhoi Su-33 and future Mikoyan MiG-29K wings of the Admiral Kuznetsov are often geared primarily towards the air superiority and fleet defense roles rather than strike/power projection tasks which require heavier payloads (bombs and air-to-ground missiles). Currently, only Russia possesses an operational carrier of this type, with India and China each preparing a similar carrier.
• Short take-off vertical-landing (STOVL): limited to carrying STOVL aircraft. STOVL aircraft, such as the Harrier Jump Jet family and Yakovlev Yak-38 generally have very limited payloads, lower performance, and high fuel consumption when compared with conventional fixed wing aircraft; however, newer STOVL aircraft such as the F-35 have much improved performance. This type of aircraft carrier is operated by India, Spain, and Italy with five in active service; the UK and Thailand each have one active carrier but without any operational STOVL aircraft in inventory. Some also count the nine US amphibious assault ships in their secondary light carrier role boosting the overall total to sixteen.

By size[link]

• Supercarrier
• Fleet carrier
• Light aircraft carrier
• Escort carrier

Flight deck[link]

The first carrier landing and take-off of a jet aircraft: Eric "Winkle" Brown landing on HMS Ocean (R68) in 1945.

As "runways at sea," modern aircraft carriers have a flat-top deck design that serves as a flight deck for the launch and recovery of aircraft. Aircraft are launched in a forward direction, into the wind, and recovered from astern. Carriers steam at speed, for example up to 35 knots (65 km/h), into the wind during flight deck operations in order to increase the wind over the deck to exceed a safe minimum. This increase in effective wind speed provides a higher launch airspeed for aircraft at the end of the catapult stroke or ski-jump, plus it makes recovery safer by reducing the difference between the relative speeds of the aircraft and ship.

On CATOBAR carriers, a steam-powered catapult is used to accelerate conventional aircraft to a safe flying speed by the end of the catapult stroke, after which the aircraft is airborne and further propulsion is provided by its own engines. On STOVL or STOBAR carriers aircraft do not require catapult assistance for take off; instead an upwards vector is provided by a ski-jump at the forward end of the flight deck. Which form of assistance provided is dependent on aircraft design and performance and is part of the overall design of the carrier and aircraft as a system.

F/A-18 landing video

Conversely, when recovering onto a CATOBAR or STOBAR carrier, conventional aircraft rely upon a tailhook that catches on arrestor wires stretched across the deck to bring them to a stop in a short distance. Helicopters and vertical/short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft usually recover by coming abreast the carrier on the port side and then using their hover capability to move over the flight deck and land vertically without the need for arresting gear.

Conventional ("tailhook") aircraft rely upon a landing signal officer (LSO, sometimes called paddles) to monitor the plane's approach, visually gauge glideslope, attitude, and airspeed, and transmit that data to the pilot. Before the angled deck emerged in the 1950s, LSOs used colored paddles to signal corrections to the pilot (hence the nickname). From the late 1950s onward, visual landing aids such as optical landing system have provided information on proper glide slope, but LSOs still transmit voice calls to approaching pilots by radio.

F/A-18 Hornets on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class supercarrier Harry S. Truman

To facilitate working on the flight deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the sailors wear colored shirts that designate their responsibilities. There are at least seven different colors worn by flight deck personnel for modern United States Navy carrier air operations. Carrier operations of other nations use similar color schemes.

Key personnel involved in the flight deck include the shooters, the handler, and the air boss. Shooters are naval aviators or Naval Flight Officers and are responsible for launching aircraft. The handler works just inside the island from the flight deck and is responsible for the movement of aircraft before launching and after recovery. The air boss (usually a commander) occupies the top bridge (Primary Flight Control, also called primary or the tower) and has the overall responsibility for controlling launch, recovery and "those aircraft in the air near the ship, and the movement of planes on the flight deck, which itself resembles a well-choreographed ballet."^[7] The captain of the ship spends most of his time one level below primary on the Navigation Bridge. Below this is the Flag Bridge, designated for the embarked admiral and his staff.

Ripples appear along the fuselage of a U.S. Navy E-2C Hawkeye due to loads from landing on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).

Since the early 1950s on conventional carriers it has been the practice to recover aircraft at an angle to port of the axial line of the ship. The primary function of this angled deck is to allow aircraft that miss the arresting wires, referred to as a bolter, to become airborne again without the risk of hitting aircraft parked forward. The angled deck also allows simultaneous launching and recovery of aircraft, and the installation of one or two "waist" catapults in addition to the two bow cats.

The superstructure of a carrier (such as the bridge, flight control tower) are concentrated to the starboard side of the deck in a relatively small area called an island, a feature pioneered on the HMS Hermes in 1923. Very few carriers have been designed or built without an island. The flush deck configuration proved to have very significant drawbacks, complicating navigation, air traffic control, and had numerous other adverse factors.

Ski-jump on Royal Navy carrier HMS Invincible (R05)

A more recent configuration, originally developed by the Royal Navy but since adopted by many navies for most smaller carriers, has a ski-jump ramp at the forward end of the flight deck. A ski jump is a fixed ramp at the end of the flight deck with a curved incline. This was first developed to help launch short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. STOVL aircraft such as the Sea Harrier can take off at far higher weights than is possible with a vertical or rolling takeoff on a short flat deck on STOBAR carriers. A ski-jump works by converting some of the forward rolling motion of the aircraft into a jump into the air at the end of the flight deck, the jump combined with the aiming of jet thrust partly downwards by swiveling exhaust nozzles on aircraft with this feature allows the heavily loaded and fueled aircraft precious seconds to attain sufficient air velocity and lift to sustain normal flight. Without a ski-jump launching fully loaded and fueled aircraft such as the Harrier would not be possible on a smaller flat deck ship before either stalling out or crashing directly into the sea. Although STOVL aircraft are capable of taking off vertically from a spot on the deck, using the ramp and a running start is far more fuel efficient and permits a heavier launch weight. As catapults are unnecessary, carriers with this arrangement reduce weight, complexity, and space needed for complex steam or electromagnetic launching equipment, vertical landing aircraft also remove the need for arresting cables and related hardware. Russian and future Indian carriers include a ski-jump ramp for launching lightly loaded conventional fighter aircraft but recover using traditional carrier arresting cables and a tailhook on their aircraft.

The disadvantage of the ski-jump is the penalty it exacts on aircraft size, payload, and fuel load (and thus range); heavily laden aircraft can not launch using a ski-jump because their high loaded weight requires either a longer takeoff roll than is possible on a carrier deck, or assistance from a catapult or JATO rocket, for example the Russian Su-33 is only able to launch from the carrier Kuznetsov with a minimal armament and fuel load. Another disadvantage is on mixed flight deck operations where helicopters are also present such as a US Landing Helicopter Dock or Landing Helicopter Assault amphibious assault ship a ski jump is not included as this would eliminate one or more helicopter landing areas, this flat deck limits the loading of Harriers but is somewhat mitigated by the longer rolling start provided by a long flight deck compared to many STOVL carriers.

Unusual flight decks have been proposed for use in the jet age; from the SCADS conversion kit, to Skyhook, seaplane fighters, even a rubber flight deck. Shipborne containerized air-defense system (SCADS) was a proposed modular kit to convert a Ro-Ro or Container ship into a STOVL aircraft carrier in two days during an emergency with thirty days of jet fuel, munitions, defensive systems and missiles, ASW helicopters, crew and work areas, radar, and a ski jump, it could be quickly removed afterwards for storage, it was effectively a modern merchant aircraft carrier. Skyhook was proposed by British Aerospace and even more ambitious, a system using a crane with a top mating mechanism hung over the sea to fuel, launch, and recover a few Harriers even from ships as small as frigates.^[8] The Convair F2Y Sea Dart was a supersonic seaplane jet fighter that had skis rather than wheels, in the late 1940s the Navy feared that supersonic aircraft would not be able to land on a carrier, it would rather be lowered and raised from the sea via crane. The HMS Warrior tested a rubber coated flight deck where de Havilland Vampire fighters landed without needing landing gear or tailhook.

Aircraft carriers in service[link]

Four modern aircraft carriers of various types—USS John C. Stennis, FS Charles de Gaulle, USS John F. Kennedy, Helicopter Carrier HMS Ocean—and escort vessels.

HTMS Chakri Naruebet (foreground) and USS Kitty Hawk

Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

HMS Illustrious (right) and USS John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf, 1998

Aircraft carriers are generally the largest ships operated by navies. A total of 22 aircraft carriers in active service are maintained by ten navies. Australia, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and the People's Republic of China also operate vessels capable of carrying and operating multiple helicopters.

Classes currently in service:

Brazil (1)

• NAe São Paulo (A12): 32,800 tonne ex-French carrier FS Foch (launched 1960), purchased in 2000.

France (1)

• Charles de Gaulle (R 91): 42,000 tonne nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2001.

India (1)

• INS Viraat: 28,700 tonne ex-British STOVL converted carrier HMS Hermes (launched 1953), purchased in 1986 and commissioned in 1987, scheduled to be decommissioned in 2019.^[9]

Italy (2)

• Giuseppe Garibaldi (551): 14,000 tonne Italian STOVL carrier, commissioned in 1985.
• Cavour (550): 27,000 tonne Italian STOVL carrier, commissioned in 2008.

Russia (1)

• Admiral Flota Sovetskovo Soyuza Kuznetsov: 67,500 tonne Kuznetsov class STOBAR aircraft carrier. Launched in 1985 as Tbilisi, renamed and operational from 1995.

Spain (2)

• Principe de Asturias (R11): 17,200 tonne STOVL carrier, commissioned in 1988.
• Juan Carlos I (L61): 27,000 tonne, Specially designed multipurpose strategic projection ship made to operate either as a second STOVL carrier or amphibious assault ship, launched in 2008, commissioned 30 September 2010.

Thailand (1)

• HTMS Chakri Naruebet: 11,400 tonne STOVL carrier based on Spanish Principe De Asturias design. Commissioned in 1997. The AV-8S Matador/Harrier STOVL fighter wing mostly inoperable by 1999^[10] was retired from service without replacement in 2006. Ship now used for helicopter operations and as a disaster relief platform.^[11]

United Kingdom (1)

• HMS Illustrious: 22,000 tonne STOVL carrier, commissioned in 1982. Originally there were three of her class but the other two have since been retired to save money. Regular RN fixed wing aircraft carrier operations ended after first Sea Harrier and then Harrier fighters were retired as a cost-saving measure, now operating as a Landing Platform Helicopter.

United States (11+9)

• USS Enterprise (CVN-65): one 93,500 ton nuclear-powered supercarrier commissioned in 1961. First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Scheduled for decommissioning in 2013.^[12]
• Nimitz class: ten 101,000 ton nuclear-powered supercarriers, the first of which was commissioned in 1975. A Nimitz class carrier is powered by two nuclear reactors and four steam turbines and is 1,092 feet (333 m) long.

The US Navy also operates nine amphibious assault ships, these very large full flight deck ships are comparable to the STOVL carriers of other nations or exceed them in capability when equipped with 20-25 fixed wing STOVL fighters and used for light carrier operations, a ski jump was omitted to allow more helicopter operating spots,^[13] but their primary mission is launching expeditionary missions by transport helicopter and hovercraft with a six to ten STOVL Harrier II fighters and a few gunship helicopters included for air support and CAP.^[14]

• USS Peleliu (LHA-5) a 40,000 ton amphibious assault ship, and the last of the Tarawa class, ships of this class have been used in wartime in their secondary mission as a light carriers in the sea control profile with 20 AV-8B Harrier fighters after unloading their expeditionary unit.
• Wasp class a class of eight 41,000 ton amphibious assault ships, members of this class have been used in wartime in their secondary mission as light carriers in the sea control profile with 20 to 25 AV-8B Harrier fighters after unloading their expeditionary unit.

Future aircraft carriers[link]

Several nations which currently possess aircraft carriers are in the process of planning new classes to replace current ones. The world's navies still generally see the aircraft carrier as the main future capital ship, with developments such as the arsenal ship, which have been promoted as an alternative, seen as too limited in terms of flexibility.^{[citation needed]}

China[link]

Varyag under tow in Istanbul

In 2001 China bought the unfinished hulk of ex-Soviet aircraft carrier Varyag from Ukraine through a shell company with a purported intention of converting it into a floating casino.^[15][16] Prior to 2011, pictures taken of the carrier in port suggested that contrary to this, work was being conducted to complete construction of the vessel. On 10 August 2011, sea-trials of the re-fitted Varyag commenced with a stated purposes of training and research, i.e. for the present time it is officially assigned for non-combat activities.^[17]

In late December 2008 and early January 2009, there were multiple reports of China building two conventionally powered aircraft carriers displacing 50,000–60,000 tonnes, possibly to be launched in 2015. In December 2010 China's State Oceanic Administration announced that this vessel would be finished one year earlier, in 2014. A nuclear powered carrier is planned for launch around 2020.^[18]

According to James Nolt, senior fellow at the World Policy Institute in New York, it might take China many years to develop the technology, training, and operational capability necessary for an effective carrier.^[19]

France[link]

The French Navy has set in motion possible plans for a second CTOL aircraft carrier, to supplement Charles de Gaulle. The design would be much larger, at 65,000–75,000 tonnes,^[20] and would not be nuclear-powered like Charles de Gaulle. There are plans to base the carrier on the current Royal Navy design for CATOBAR operations (the Thales/BAE Systems design for the Royal Navy is for a STOVL carrier which is reconfigurable to CATOBAR operations.)

On 21 June 2008, French President Nicolas Sarkozy decided to place France's participation in the project on hold. He stated that a final decision on the future of the French carrier would be taken in 2011 or 2012. British plans for two aircraft carriers will go ahead as planned and were in no way conditional on French participation.^[21]

India[link]

Impression of the INS Vikramaditya, which is under refit for the Indian Navy.

India started the construction of a 40,000-tonne, 260-metre-long Vikrant-class aircraft carrier in April 2005.^[22] The new carrier will cost US$762 million and will operate MiG-29K, Naval HAL Tejas, and Sea Harrier aircraft along with the Indian-made helicopter HAL Dhruv.^[22] The ship will be powered by four turbine engines and will have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,000 km), carrying 160 officers, 1,400 sailors, and 30 aircraft. The carrier is being constructed by a state-run shipyard in Cochin.^[22] The ship is scheduled for commissioning in 2014.^[23][24]

In 2004, India agreed to buy the Admiral Gorshkov from Russia for US$1.5 billion. It is named INS Vikramaditya,^[23] and was expected to join the Indian Navy in 2008 after a refit.^[25] However, delays in the refit were announced in July 2007, and the carrier will now be ready by 2012.^[26]

In July 2008, Russia increased the total price to US$2.2 billion because of unexpected cost overruns due to the deteriorated condition of the ship.^[23] In December 2008, India decided in favour of purchasing Admiral Gorshkov as the best option available.^[27] In February 2009, Russia asked for an additional $700 million over the originally contracted price for the completion of the reconstruction of the Admiral Gorshkov, bringing the total requested price to $2.9 billion.^[28] On 8 December 2009, it was reported that India and Russia ended the stalemate over Gorshkov price deal by agreeing on a price of US$2.2 billion.^[29][30]

In December 2009, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said at his maiden navy week press conference that concepts currently being examined by the Directorate of Naval Design for the second indigenous aircraft carrier, the IAC-2, are for a conventionally powered carrier displacing over 50,000 tons and equipped with steam catapults (rather than the ski-jump on the Gorshkov/Vikramaditya and the IAC) to launch fourth-generation aircraft.^[24]

Russia[link]

Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Masorin officially stated on June 23, 2007, that the Navy was considering the specifications of a new nuclear aircraft carrier design^[31][32] for the class that was first announced about a month earlier. Production of the carriers is expected to start around 2010 at the Zvezdochka plant in Severodvinsk, where a large drydock, capable of launching vessels with more than 100,000 ton displacement, is now being built.^[33] In his statement, Admiral Masorin said that the general dimensions of the project have already been determined. The projected carrier is to have nuclear propulsion, to displace about 50,000 tons and to carry an air wing of 30–50 air superiority aircraft and helicopters, which makes her roughly comparable with the French Charles de Gaulle. "The giants that the US Navy builds, those that carry 100–130 aircraft, we won't build anything like that", said Admiral Masorin.^[32] The planned specifications reflect the role, traditional in the Russian Navy, of the aircraft carrier as an air support platform for guided missile cruisers and submarines.

The Russian naval establishment had long agreed, since the decommissioning of the Kiev-class carriers, that the only operational carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, was insufficient, and that three or four carriers were necessary to meet the Navy's air support requirements.^{[citation needed]} However, financial and organisational turmoil in the 1990s made even the maintenance of Admiral Kuznetsov a difficult undertaking. The improvement in Russia's economic situation after the year 2000 has allowed a major increase in defence spending. Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky announced on Navy Day 2008 that Russia plans to build five or six carriers of the new design for deployment in the Northern and Pacific fleets, starting around 2012–2013.^[34] The new carrier groups are planned to be at full strength around 2050–2060.^[35] According to sources from the United Shipbuilding Corporation the new carriers will carry new fifth-generation fighters as well as unmanned aerial vehicles and have a displacement of up to 60,000 metric tons.^[36]

While planning for new carriers, and carrying out design projects, the Russian government has not committed to building the carriers. Russia's economic climate is not yet sufficient to allow the construction and support of additional carriers in the short term.^[37]

The Russian Navy expects to have a blueprint for the next generation aircraft carrier by the end of 2010.^[38]

Speaking in St. Petersburg, Russia on 30 June 2011, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation said his company expected to begin design work for a new carrier in 2016, with a goal of beginning construction in 2018 and having the carrier achieve initial operational capability by 2023.^[39] Several months later, on 3 November 2011 the Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported that the naval building plan now included (first) the construction of a new shipyard capable of building large hull ships, after which Moscow will build two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers by 2027. The spokesperson said one carrier would be assigned to the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet at Murmansk, and the second would be stationed with the Pacific Fleet at Vladivostok.^[40] Defense analysts familiar with the Russian military speculate that while Russian Navy admirals and Russian shipyard owners want to build new aircraft carriers, it is far from certain that the Russian Parliament will authorize the spending of tens of billions of dollars it would cost to build the facilities, warships, and aircraft required to support two aircraft carrier battle groups.^{[citation needed]}

United Kingdom[link]

The Royal Navy is constructing two new larger STOVL aircraft carriers, the Queen Elizabeth-class, to replace the three Invincible-class carriers. The ships are to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.^[41][42] They will be able to operate up to 40 aircraft, and will have a displacement of around 65,000 tonnes. The two ships are due to enter service in 2016 and 2018 respectively, two years later than originally planned.^[43] Their primary aircraft complement will be made up of F-35b Lightning IIs, and their ship's company will number around 1450.^[44] The two ships will be the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, and are intended to operate in a STOVL configuration.

United States[link]

Artist's impression of the US Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

The current US fleet of Nimitz-class and USS Enterprise carriers are to be followed into service (and in some cases replaced) by the Gerald R. Ford-class. It is expected that the ships will be more automated in an effort to reduce the amount of funding required to maintain and operate its supercarriers. The main new features are implementation of Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) (which replace the old steam catapults) and unmanned aerial vehicles.

With the decommissioning of the USS Kitty Hawk in May 2009, the U.S. fleet comprises 11 supercarriers. The House Armed Services Seapower subcommittee on 24 July 2007, recommended seven or maybe eight new carriers (one every four years). However, the debate has deepened over budgeting for the $12–14.5 billion (plus $12 billion for development and research) for the 100,000 ton Gerald Ford-class carrier (estimated service 2015) compared to the smaller $2 billion 45,000 ton America-class amphibious assault ships able to deploy squadrons of F-35B of which two are already under construction and twelve are planned.^[45]

See also[link]

War portal

• History of the aircraft carrier
• Modern US Navy carrier air operations
• Project Habakkuk
• Seadrome
• Mobile offshore base
• Hull classification symbol
• Unsinkable aircraft carrier

Other types of aircraft carriers[link]

• Anti-submarine warfare carrier
• Helicopter carrier
• Amphibious assault ship
• Seaplane tender
• Balloon carrier
• Airborne aircraft carrier
• Submarine aircraft carrier
• Flight deck cruiser

Related lists[link]

• List of aircraft carriers
  • List of aircraft carriers by country
  • List of aircraft carriers by configuration
  • List of aircraft carriers in service
  • List of sunken aircraft carriers
  • Timeline for aircraft carrier service
• List of amphibious warfare ships
• Number of warships in service worldwide

References[link]

Notes

Bibliography

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aircraft carriers

• Future Aircraft Carrier: UK. Armed Forces International
• Aircraft carriers of the USN
• Info about flight deck crew, arresting cables, catapults
• How Stuff Works—Aircraft Carriers
• Haze Gray & Underway, World Aircraft Carrier Lists comprehensive and detailed listings of all the world's aircraft carriers and seaplane tenders from 1913 to 2001, with photo gallery.
• Ships That Mother Seaplanes: craft of the "hush-hush" fleet may play a part in first trans-Atlantic flight. Popular Science monthly, February 1919, page 80, on Google Books.