10 largest aircraft carriers in service in the world

Facts

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a mobile base for carrier-based aircraft. It can accommodate various types of aircraft and helicopters: combat (including aircraft carrying nuclear weapons), reconnaissance, transport, rescue, and so on. Today, aircraft carriers are the largest warships in service. Some of them are equipped with a nuclear power plant, which allows for long voyages without the need for refueling. The cost of one such ship can reach six billion dollars. But they are the most powerful means for protecting state borders from the sea or gaining local superiority in the zone of military conflicts.

Rating of the largest aircraft carriers in the world in service

Nomination a place Aircraft carrier Length, m.
Rating of the largest aircraft carriers in the world in service 10 Chakri Narubet 183
9 Cavour 244
8 Charles de Gaulle 261
7 Sao Paulo 265
6 Vikramaditya 283
5 Queen elizabeth 284
4 Liaoning 304
3 Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov 305
2 Nimitz 332
1 Gerald R. Ford 337

Chakri Narubet

Rating: 4.1

Chakri Narubet

This light aircraft carrier is in service with the Royal Thai Navy. It was built by a Spanish shipbuilding firm in 1997. “Chakri Narubet” is 183 meters long and can accommodate up to 600 crew members. The maximum speed of the vessel is 26 knots. On its deck is an air group, which includes AV-8S Matador assault aircraft and S-70B multipurpose helicopters. The ship's defensive system is represented by Mistral short-range homing missiles. The aircraft carrier has a relatively low combat capability, and most of the time it serves either as a base for rescue operations or as a tourist destination. It is also often used by the ruler of Thailand, for which it was nicknamed the world's largest royal yacht.

Cavour

Rating: 4.2

Cavour

The Italian aircraft carrier Cavour has been in service since 2008 and is 244 meters long. It was named after Count Cavour, famous for his merits in the unification of Italy. The ship can serve as a base for more than 20 aircraft and helicopters, as well as a couple of dozen tanks or 50 heavy combat vehicles. The number of the ship's crew exceeds 500 people. Currently, the AV-8B Harrier II vertical take-off and landing attack aircraft are based on the deck, which are subsequently planned to be replaced with Lockheed Martin F-35 multifunctional fighters. The aircraft carrier is equipped with modern radar equipment, for protection it has artillery installations and missile weapons. Potentially “Cavour” can be used as a landing ship and as a command center. The maximum speed of the aircraft carrier is 28 knots.

Charles de Gaulle

Rating: 4.3

Charles de Gaulle

The largest aircraft carrier of the French naval forces, was launched in 2001. The ship with a length of 261 meters can carry on its decks (flight and hangar) up to 40 combat aircraft and helicopters, as well as more than a thousand crew members. The main aviation weapons are Dassault Rafale fighters, in addition there are Super Étendard attack aircraft, radar warfare aircraft and several types of helicopters. The flagship of the French fleet is equipped with a nuclear installation, which significantly expands the range of its autonomous action. It is capable of moving at a speed of 27 knots. The flight deck with steam catapults allows the release of two aircraft per minute. Own naval armament consists of a missile system and a huge set of target detection equipment. The aircraft carrier has a unique automatic stabilization system SATRAP, which allows takeoff and landing in sea waves up to six points.

Sao Paulo

Rating: 4.4

Sao Paulo

The Brazilian aircraft carrier used to be called Foch and belonged to France. He took part in a number of military operations. Since 2000, after a major overhaul, the ship was transferred to the armament of the Brazilian fleet. The 265-meter vessel can accommodate more than 30 aircraft and almost two thousand people. Its main attack units are light attack aircraft A-4 Skyhawk and anti-submarine helicopters Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King. In addition, there are transport and search and rescue aircraft equipment. The aircraft carrier's defense complex is represented by two launchers of an anti-aircraft missile system, a pair of artillery mounts and five machine guns.

Vikramaditya

Rating: 4.5

 Vikramaditya

The Indian aircraft carrier has a length of 283 meters, it can transport up to 40 aircraft on its deck, the ship's crew exceeds 1,500 people. Previously, she was a heavy aircraft carrier, was part of the Russian Navy and was called “Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov”. After a deep modernization, the vessel was transferred to the Indian Navy. Deck aviation is represented by Russian-made aircraft and helicopters: MIG-29, Ka-28, Ka-31.

Queen elizabeth

Rating: 4.6

Queen elizabeth

The aircraft carrier was built to replace the obsolete Invisible class ships. The ship with a length of 284 meters is capable of placing a maximum of 70 aircraft units on its deck, if necessary. Thanks to the highest level of automation, the number of the crew is less than 700 people, but the total capacity of the vessel exceeds 1,500 people. The regular composition of the Quinn Elizabeth air group consists of fighters with vertical takeoff / landing F-35B, anti-submarine helicopters AW101 Merlin, AW159 Wildcat and heavy transport CH-47 Chinook. The flight deck does not have catapults, instead it is equipped with a springboard for aircraft, it is possible to simultaneously take off and land on it. The ship's propulsion system allows a speed of 26 nautical knots. The aircraft carrier's own armament consists of the Mark 15 Phalanx CIWS anti-aircraft artillery system.

Liaoning

Rating: 4.7

Liaoning

The aircraft carrier of the Chinese naval forces “Liaoning”, formerly bearing the name “Varyag”, was built at the Nikolaev shipyard and entered service in 1988. Ten years later, it was sold to China for $ 20 million, where the ship underwent a major refit. The aircraft carrier has a length of 304 meters and can accommodate up to 50 units of aviation combat equipment, as well as more than two thousand people. Especially for him, the Chinese have created a carrier-based version of the J-11 fighter, which is almost an exact copy of the Soviet Su-27 aircraft. In addition to fighters, anti-submarine and search and rescue helicopters are based on the ship. After the modernization, the aircraft carrier lost its offensive weapons and is currently equipped with only three short-range artillery systems and three FL-3000N anti-aircraft missile systems, which can hit targets at a distance of up to 6 kilometers.

Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov

Rating: 4.8

Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov

The heavy aircraft carrier is one of a kind. It has a huge flight deck with a total area of ​​14 thousand square meters and is designed to house 40 aircraft. The basis of its naval aviation is made up of MiG-29 and Su-33 fighter-bombers. In addition, there are Ka-52 attack helicopters and Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopters on board. The maximum crew capacity is two thousand people. The power plant is capable of propelling the massive 305-meter vessel to a speed of 29 knots. The Admiral Kuznetsov is equipped with an advanced radar system and a large number of anti-aircraft missile launchers. In addition, there are six AK-630M rapid-fire artillery mounts. But the most formidable armament of the ship is twelve installations with Granit cruise missiles, the range of which exceeds 500 kilometers.

Nimitz

Rating: 4.9

Nimitz

The American aircraft carrier “Nimitz” is capable of accommodating up to 90 units of combat aircraft, as well as about five thousand crew members. The vessel is 332 meters long, is equipped with two nuclear reactors and can move at a speed of up to 31 knots. It is home to F / A-18 fighters, EA-6 Prowler electronic warfare aircraft and Seahawk multipurpose helicopters. Automated defense systems operate two missile launchers of the RIM-116 complex and two RIM-7 Sea Sparrow air defense systems with guided missiles. The aircraft carrier has already established itself by taking part in several real combat operations.

Gerald R. Ford

Rating: 5.0

Gerald R. Ford

The largest of the modern aircraft carriers (and warships in general) is 337 meters long. Its dimensions are larger than three football fields, and it is about the height of a 35-storey building. The ship got its name in honor of the 38th President of the United States. The construction of the aircraft carrier cost the US government $ 3.3 billion. It is equipped with a powerful power plant, which includes two nuclear reactors, which provide complete autonomy and do not need to replace the fuel rods until the very end of the ship's expected 50-year service life. The ship replaced the aircraft carrier Enterprise, it is not only modern, but also more economical due to the introduction of automation systems, which reduced the number of the crew to 2,700 people. The maximum speed that the ship can develop reaches more than 30 nautical knots. The core of the air group is made up of the latest F-35C Lightning II fighters, F / A-18E / F Super Hornet fighter-bombers, electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft, as well as multi-role aircraft and transport helicopters. The anti-aircraft missile system allows you to intercept targets at a distance of up to 50 kilometers.


Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

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