List of aircraft carriers by country

The list of aircraft carriers by country includes all aircraft carriers organized by country of origin and service. Where appropriate, a single ship may be listed under multiple countries.

Numbers of aircraft carriers by country

The table below does not include submarine aircraft carriers, seaplane tenders, escort carriers, merchant aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers or amphibious assault ships

Number of aircraft carriers by operating nation

Country	In service	In reserve	Decommissioned	Under construction	Never completed	Total
Argentina	0	0	2	0	0	2
Australia	0	0	3	0	0	5
Brazil	1	0	1	0	0	2
Canada	0	0	5	0	0	5
China	1	0	0	1	0	1
France	1	0	7	0	7	8
Germany	0	0	0	0	8	0
India	1	0	2	1	0	5
Italy	2	0	0	0	2	2
Japan	0	0	20	0	4	20
Netherlands	0	0	2	0	0	2
Russia	1	0	6	0	2	7
Spain	1	1	1	0	1	3
Thailand	1	0	0	0	0	1
United Kingdom	0	0	40	2	12	40
United States	10	1	56	2	12	67
Total	19	2	145	6	48	168

Argentina

Retired:

• Light carriers:
  • ARA Independencia (V-1): Colossus class light carrier in service from 1959 to 1969; scrapped 1971
  • ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (V-2): Colossus class light carrier in service from 1969 to 1999; scrapped 1999

Australia

Retired:

• Light Fleet Carriers:
  • HMAS Sydney: Majestic class carrier in service from 1948 to 1958. Later recommissioned as troop transport
  • HMAS Melbourne: Majestic class carrier in service from 1955 to 1982
  • HMAS Vengeance: Colossus class light carrier on loan from Royal Navy from 1952 to 1955

Brazil

Active:

• Fleet carrier:
  • São Paulo: Clemenceau class carrier in service since 2000. Former name as carrier of the French Navy: Foch

Retired:

• Light carrier:
  • Minas Gerais: Colossus class carrier in service from 1960 to 2001

Canada

Retired:

• Light carriers:
  • HMCS Warrior: Colossus class light carrier in service from 1946 to 1948; returned to Royal Navy and sold to Argentine Navy as ARA Independencia (V-1); carrier in service from 1959 to 1969; scrapped 1971
  • HMCS Magnificent: Majestic class carrier in service from 1946 to 1956; return to Royal Navy and stricken; scrapped in Scotland in 1965
  • HMCS Bonaventure : Majestic class carrier in service from 1957 to 1970; ordered by Royal Navy, but sold as HMS Powerful and delivered to Royal Canadian Navy; retired by the Canadian Armed Forces and broken up in Taiwan 1971

China

Active:

• Liaoning: never completed ex-Soviet Navy carrier sold to China by Ukraine being refitted in Dalian. Handed on to PLAN on 23 September 2012 and entered active service on 25 September 2012.^[1]

Planned:

• Future Chinese aircraft carrier^[2]

France

Active:

• Charles de Gaulle : aircraft carrier in service since 2001

Retired:

• Béarn : converted Normandie-class battleship in service from 1927 to 1948
• Dixmude : Avenger-class escort carrier, ex-HMS Biter, in service from 1945 to 1951
• Arromanches : Colossus class light aircraft carrier in service from 1946 to 1974
• Independence class
  • La Fayette : light aircraft carrier in service from 1951 to 1963
  • Bois Belleau : light aircraft carrier in service from 1953 to 1960
• Clemenceau class
  • Clemenceau : aircraft carrier in service from 1961 to 1997
  • Foch : aircraft carrier in service from 1963 to 2000. Refitted, sold to Brazil and renamed São Paulo

Never completed:

• Engageante : Friponne class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
• Conquerante : Valliante class sloop planned for conversion but not completed
• Joffre class
  • Joffre : carrier construction cancelled in 1940
  • Painlevé : carrier plan cancelled in 1940
• Verdun : attack carrier development cancelled in 1961
• PH 75: projected two nuclear powered helicopter carrier program during the 1970s
  • Bretagne: STOVL aircraft carrier
  • Provence: STOVL aircraft carrier
• PA 2 : cancelled 2013
  • Georges Pompidou : (tentative name) modified version of UK CVF design.
  • Richelieu : modified version of Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class (formerly CVF).

Germany

Never completed:

• German aircraft carrier I  – planned conversion of passenger ship from German shipyard to aircraft carrier. Cancelled in 1918.
• Graf Zeppelin: Graf Zeppelin class carrier. Launched but not completed. Construction work stopped in 1943.
• Flugzeugträger B: Graf Zeppelin class carrier cancelled partly constructed in 1939.
• Seydlitz: conversion of part-built Admiral Hipper class cruiser. Work stopped in 1943 and not resumed.
• German aircraft carrier I: conversion of the transport ship Europa cancelled at design stage in November 1942 due to insurmountable problems.

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

India

Active:

• INS Vikramaditya : 45,400 tons, Modified Kiev class carrier (ex-Admiral Gorshkov), in service with India since 2013.

Under construction:

• INS Vikrant: 44,000 tons, Vikrant class carrier. It has been built at Cochin Shipyard and has been launched, and is expected to enter service in 2018.^[3][4]

Planned:

• INS Vishal: 65,000 tons, Vikrant-class carrier. Yet to start, planned to enter service in 2025. It will be nuclear powered.^[5]

Retired:

• INS Vikrant : 19,500 tons, Majestic-class carrier, (ex-HMS Hercules), in service from 1961 to 1997, used as a museum until 2012, scrapped 2014-2015.

In Reserve:

• INS Viraat  : 28,700 tons, Centaur class carrier (ex-HMS Hermes) in service from 1987 to 2016. Decommissioned on 24-10-2016.

Italy

Active:

• Giuseppe Garibaldi (1985) – active.
• Cavour (2008) – current fleet flagship.

Never completed:

• Sparviero (1927) (converted liner Augustus, not completed as carrier) – Sunk 5 October 1944
• Aquila (1926) (converted liner Roma) – BU 1951–1952

Japan

Retired:

• Hōshō (1921) – decommissioned 1946
• Kaiyo (1943) – decommissioned 1945 and scrapped 1946

Sunk:

• Kaga (1921) – sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
• Akagi (1925) – sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
• Ryūjō (1931) – sunk, Battle of the Eastern Solomons, August 1942
• Ryūhō (1933) – damaged at Kure by U.S. air raid March 1945 and scrapped postwar
• Sōryū class
  • Sōryū (1935) – sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
  • Hiryū (1937) – sunk, Battle of Midway, June 1942
• Zuihō class
  • Shōhō (1935) – sunk, Battle of the Coral Sea, May 1942
  • Zuihō (1936) – sunk, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
• Chitose class
  • Chitose (1936) – seaplane tender from 1934 to 1942, rebuilt as light carrier and sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944
  • Chiyoda (1937) – sunk at Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
• Shōkaku class
  • Shōkaku (1939) – sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
  • Zuikaku (1939) – sunk, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
• Hiyō class
  • Junyō (1939) – damaged during Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944. Never repaired; scrapped postwar.
  • Hiyō (1939) – sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
• Taihō (1943) – sunk, Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
• Unryū class
  • Amagi (1943) – used as anti-aircraft platform and sunk in July 1945
  • Unryū (1943) – sunk by U.S. submarine Redfish, December 1944
  • Katsuragi (1944) – used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and then scrapped
• Shinano (1944) – sunk by U.S. submarine Archerfish, November 1944
• Mizuho (1939) – sunk by U.S. submarine USS Drum, 1 May 1942.

Only Hōshō, Junyō, Katsuragi and Ryuho survived the war and these were scrapped by 1948.

Never completed:

• Unryū class
  • Aso 4th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
  • Ikoma 5th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
  • Kasagi 6th unit of Unryū class (not completed)
• Ibuki - heavy cruiser conversion; scrapped post-war

Netherlands

Retired:

• Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British HMS Venerable, purchased 1948) – Sold to Argentina 1968 and renamed ARA Veinticinco de Mayo, broken up
• Hr.Ms. Karel Doorman (ex-British HMS Nairana, transferred to Dutch service 1946) – Converted to merchantman and renamed Port Victor, Until March 1968, owned by Cunard Line but managed by Blue Star Port Lines. Eventually owned by Port Line, July 21, 1971, sent to Faslane to be scrapped

Russia

The Russian Navy was established in December 1991, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most Soviet aircraft carriers were transferred over to Russia.

Active:

• Admiral Kuznetsov class
  • Admiral Kuznetsov (1991–)

Retired:

• Kiev class
  • Kiev (1991–1993)
  • Minsk (1991–1993)
  • Novorossiysk (1991–1993)
  • Admiral Gorshkov (1991–1995)- Modified, rebuilt and sold to India, renamed INS Vikramaditya

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was dissolved in December 1991, most Soviet aircraft carriers were transferred to Russia, with the exception of Varyag which was transferred to Ukraine. Ulyanovsk was scrapped before the Soviet Union was dissolved.

In service at the end of Soviet state:

• Admiral Kuznetsov class
  • Admiral Kuznetsov (1985–1991) — to Russia (1991)
• Kiev class
  • Kiev (1972–1991) — to Russia (1991)
  • Minsk (1975–1991) — to Russia (1991)
  • Novorossiysk (1978–1991) — to Russia (1991)
  • Admiral Gorshkov (1982–1991) — to Russia (1991)

Never completed:

• Admiral Kuznetsov class
  • Varyag (not commissioned) — to Ukraine (1991); now being rebuilt and tested by the Chinese PLAN
• Ulyanovsk class
  • Ulyanovsk (not commissioned) — scrapped (1991)

Spain

Active:

• Juan Carlos I : 27,079 tonne STOVL carrier in active service, commissioned 30 September 2010.

Retired:

• Dédalo : 11,700 ton Independence class light carrier, ex-USS Cabot, helicopters only from 1967–1976, struck 1989 and returned to United States, eventually scrapped in 2002.
• Príncipe de Asturias : 17,000 ton STOVL commissioned 30 May 1982, decommissioned on 6 February 2013 due to defence spending cuts.

Never completed:

• Spanish conversion for refloated Italian heavy cruiser Trieste, cancelled in 1951.^[6]

Thailand

Active:

• HTMS Chakri Naruebet (1996)* Commissioned in 1997 but by 1999, only one used AV-8S Matador/Harrier was still operable due to lack of spare parts and age.^[7]

Ukraine

Never completed:

• Admiral Kuznetsov class
  • Varyag (not commissioned) — sold to China (1998)

United Kingdom

Under construction:

• Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, STOVL ships of 70,600 tonnes
  • HMS Queen Elizabeth (2016)
  • HMS Prince of Wales (2018)

Sunk:

• Glorious class
  • HMS Glorious (1916), sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau 8 June 1940
  • HMS Courageous (1916), sunk by U-29 17 September 1939
• HMS Eagle (1918), sunk by U-73 11 August 1942
• HMS Hermes (1923) – first purpose-designed aircraft carrier, sunk by Japanese aircraft 9 April 1942
• HMS Ark Royal (1938), sunk 14 November 1941 after being torpedoed by U-81 on 13 November 1941

Retired:

• HMS Argus (1916)
• HMS Furious (1916)
• HMS Vindictive (1918) – converted to aircraft carrying cruiser 1925
• HMS Unicorn fleet maintenance carrier (1943)
• Illustrious class
  • HMS Illustrious (1939)
  • HMS Formidable (1939)
  • HMS Victorious (1939)
• HMS Indomitable (1940)
• Implacable class
  • HMS Implacable (1942)
  • HMS Indefatigable (1942)
• Audacious class
  • HMS Eagle (ex-Audacious) (1946)
  • HMS Ark Royal (ex-Irresistible) (1950)
• Colossus class
  • HMS Colossus (1943), to France 1946 as Arromanches
  • HMS Glory (1943)
  • HMS Ocean (1944)
  • HMS Theseus (1944)
  • HMS Triumph (1944)
  • HMS Venerable (1944) – to Netherlands 1948 as HNLMS Karel Doorman, to Argentina 1968 as ARA Veinticinco de Mayo
  • HMS Vengeance (1944) – to Brazil 1956 as Minas Gerais
  • HMS Warrior (1944) – to Canada 1946–1948, to Argentina 1958 as ARA Independencia
  • HMS Perseus (1944)
  • HMS Pioneer (1944)
• Majestic class
  • HMS Majestic (1945) – to Australia 1955 as HMAS Melbourne
  • HMS Hercules (1945) – to India 1957 as INS Vikrant
  • HMS Magnificent (1944) – sold to Canada as HMCS Magnificent
  • HMS Powerful (1945) – to Canada 1952 as HMCS Bonaventure
  • HMS Terrible (1944) – to Australia in 1948 as HMAS Sydney
• Centaur class
  • HMS Centaur (1947)
  • HMS Albion (1947)
  • HMS Bulwark (1948)
  • HMS Hermes (ex-Elephant) (1953), to India 1986 as INS Viraat
• Invincible class
  • HMS Invincible (1977)
  • HMS Illustrious (1982)
  • HMS Ark Royal (1985)

Never completed:

• Audacious class
  • Eagle – cancelled
  • Africa – to Malta class then cancelled
• Majestic class
  • HMS Leviathan (1945) – was never completed
• Centaur class
  • Hermes – cancelled
  • Arrogant – cancelled
  • Monmouth – cancelled
  • Polyphemus – cancelled
• Malta class – cancelled 1946
  • Malta
  • New Zealand
  • Gibraltar
  • Africa
• CVA-01 – cancelled 1966
  • Queen Elizabeth
  • Duke of Edinburgh

United States

The United States Navy currently has the world's largest fleet of nuclear powered aircraft carriers,^[8] composed of the Nimitz class and the upcoming Gerald R. Ford class supercarriers.

The United States also has several full-deck amphibious assault ships, such as the Wasp and America classes, which are larger than many of the aircraft carriers of other navies.^[9]

• list of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy
• list of escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
• list of amphibious warfare ships of the United States Navy

See also

• Aircraft carrier
• Timeline for aircraft carrier service

Related Lists

Notes

References

Further reading

• Warrilow, Betty. Nabob, the first Canadian-manned aircraft carrier Owen Sound, Ont. : Escort Carriers Association, 1989.
• Chesneau, Roger. Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present. An Illustrated Encyclopedia Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-902-2