List of aircraft carriers

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

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

Active:

• Atlântico: helicopter carrier in service since 2018

Retired:

• Fleet carrier:
  • São Paulo: Clemenceau class carrier in service between 2000 and 2017. Former name as carrier of the French Navy: Foch
• Light carrier:
  • Minas Gerais: Colossus class carrier in service from 1960 to 2001

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

Active:

• Liaoning: never completed ex-Soviet Navy carrier sold to China by Ukraine being refitted in Dalian as Type 001. Handed over to PLAN on 23 September 2012 and entered active service on 25 September 2012.[1]
• Shandong: under construction since 2013, launched on 26 April 2017 at Dalian Shipyard, entered active service on 17 December 2019.[2]

Under construction:[3]

• Type 003: under construction since 2015 in Shanghai.
• The Type 075: 3 landing helicopter dock (NATO reporting name Yushen-class landing helicopter assault) under construction

Planned:

• Type 004: a planned nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

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[4]
• Conquerante: Valliante class sloop planned for conversion but not completed[5]
• 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: modified version of Thales UK/BMT design for the future British Queen Elizabeth class (formerly CVF).

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.

Active:

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

Under Sea Trials:

• INS Vikrant: 44,000 ton carrier. It was built at Cochin Shipyard and has been launched; expected to enter service in 2021.[6][7]

Planned:

• INS Vishal: 65,000 ton carrier. Yet to start, planned to enter service in 2025. It will be conventionally powered.[8]

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.
• INS Viraat: 28,700 tons, Centaur class carrier (ex-HMS Hermes) in service from 1987 to 2016. Decommissioned on 6 March 2017.

Active:

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

Under construction:

• Trieste : 32,300 tons carrier. Construction began in 2017 at Fincantieri Shipyard and is expected to enter service in 2022.[9]

Never completed:

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

Active:[10][11][12]

• Izumo class
  • Izumo – Commissioned in 2015. Announced in December 2018 to be redesignated and converted into multi-purpose destroyer to carry F-35 aircraft
  • Kaga – Commissioned in 2017. Announced in December 2018 to be redesignated and converted into multi-purpose destroyer to carry F-35 aircraft

Retired:

• Hōshō (1921) – used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and dismantled 1946
• Ryūhō (1933) – damaged at Kure by U.S. air raid March 1945 and dismantled 1946
• Hiyō class
  • Junyō (1939) – damaged during Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944. Never repaired; dismantled 1946
• Unryū class
  • Katsuragi (1944) – used as transport to repatriate Japanese troops postwar and dismantled 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
• 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 by U.S. submarine USS Cavalla (SS-244), Battle of Philippine Sea, June 1944
  • Zuikaku (1939) – sunk, Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944
• Hiyō class
  • 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
• Shinano (1944) – sunk by U.S. submarine Archerfish, November 1944

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); sunk as weapon test target and scrapped postwar
  • Ikoma 5th unit of Unryū class (not completed); dismantled post-war
  • Kasagi 6th unit of Unryū class (not completed); dismantled post-war
• Ibuki – heavy cruiser conversion (not completed); dismantled post-war

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, 21 July 1971, sent to Faslane to be scrapped
• Rapana class:
  • Motor vessel Gadila of the Dutch Merchant Navy was a converted Royal Dutch Shell oil tanker along with her sister ship MV Macoma.
  • Motor vessel Macoma together with MV Gadila were the first Dutch aircraft carriers.

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–present)

Retired:

• Kiev class
  • Kiev (1991–1993); converted to a theme park (later hotel) in China
  • Minsk (1991–1993); converted to a theme park in China
  • Novorossiysk (1991–1993); scrapped
  • Admiral Gorshkov (1991–1995); modified, rebuilt and sold to India, renamed INS Vikramaditya

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); rebuilt, tested and commissioned by the Chinese PLAN as Liaoning
• Ulyanovsk class
  • Ulyanovsk (not commissioned) — scrapped (1991)

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 to 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.[13]

Role changed:

• 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.[14] Since 2006 is solely operated as a helicopter carrier.

Under construction:

• TCG Anadolu (2021) The construction works began on 30 April 2016 at the shipyard of Sedef Shipbuilding Inc. in Istanbul and is expected to be completed in 2021. Yet to start, planned to enter service in 2021.[15]

Never completed:

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

Active:

• Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, STOVL ship of 65,000 tonnes
  • HMS Queen Elizabeth
  • HMS Prince of Wales

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)

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

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

The United States Navy is a blue-water navy that is the world's largest and most powerful because, among its numerous other vessels, it has the world's largest fleet of nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The carrier fleet currently comprises the (CATOBAR) Nimitz class and (CATOBAR/ EMALS) Gerald R. Ford class supercarriers. These carriers serve as the centerpieces and flagships for the Navy's Carrier Strike Groups, with their embarked carrier air wings and accompanying ships and submarines, which strongly contribute to the US ability to project force around the globe. The following is a complete list of all the US Navy's carriers and classes to date, and their status:

Active

• Nimitz-class – (1,092 ft, 100,000 tons)
  • USS Nimitz
  • USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • USS Carl Vinson
  • USS Theodore Roosevelt
  • USS Abraham Lincoln
  • USS George Washington
  • USS John C. Stennis
  • USS Harry S. Truman
  • USS Ronald Reagan
  • USS George H.W. Bush
• Gerald R. Ford-class (1,106 ft, 110,000 tons)
  • USS Gerald R. Ford

Under construction

• Gerald R. Ford-class
  • USS John F. Kennedy
  • USS Enterprise

Planned

• Gerald R. Ford-class
  • USS Doris Miller (ordered)
  • CVN-82 (ordered)
  • CVN-83 (planned)
  • CVN-84 (planned)
  • CVN-85 (planned)
  • CVN-86 (planned)
  • CVN-87 (planned)

Reserve

• (none currently in reserve)

Retired (preserved as museum ships)

• Essex-class
  • USS Yorktown – (Charleston, South Carolina)
  • USS Intrepid – (New York City, New York)
  • USS Hornet – (Alameda, California)
  • USS Lexington – (Corpus Christi, Texas)
• Midway-class
  • USS Midway – (San Diego, California)

Retired (other)

• Kitty Hawk-class
  • USS John F. Kennedy (on donation hold 2007–2017, currently designated for dismantling)[16]
  • USS Kitty Hawk

Retired (scrapped)

• Ranger-class
  • USS Ranger
• Yorktown-class
  • USS Enterprise
• Essex-class (‡ extended bow)
  • USS Essex
  • USS Franklin
  • USS Ticonderoga ‡
  • USS Randolph ‡
  • USS Bunker Hill
  • USS Wasp
  • USS Hancock ‡
  • USS Bennington
  • USS Boxer ‡
  • USS Bon Homme Richard
  • USS Leyte ‡
  • USS Kearsarge ‡
  • USS Antietam ‡
  • USS Princeton ‡
  • USS Shangri-La ‡
  • USS Lake Champlain ‡
  • USS Tarawa ‡
  • USS Valley Forge ‡
  • USS Philippine Sea ‡
• Independence-class
  • USS Belleau Wood
  • USS Cowpens
  • USS Monterey
  • USS Langley
  • USS Cabot
  • USS Bataan
  • USS San Jacinto
• Midway-class
  • USS Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • USS Coral Sea
• Saipan-class
  • USS Saipan
  • USS Wright
• Forrestal-class
  • USS Forrestal
  • USS Saratoga
  • USS Ranger
  • USS Independence
• Kitty Hawk-class
  • USS Constellation
• Enterprise-class
  • USS Enterprise

Sunk († scuttled)

• Langley-class
  • USS Langley †
• Lexington-class
  • USS Lexington
  • USS Saratoga
• Yorktown-class
  • USS Yorktown
  • USS Hornet
• Wasp-class
  • USS Wasp †
• Essex-class (‡ extended bow)
  • USS Oriskany ‡ †
• Independence-class
  • USS Independence †
  • USS Princeton
• Kitty Hawk-class
  • USS America †

Cancelled before completion

• Essex-class (‡ extended bow)
  • USS Reprisal ‡
  • USS Iwo Jima ‡
  • No name assigned (CV-50)
  • No name assigned (CV-51)
  • No name assigned (CV-52)
  • No name assigned (CV-53)
  • No name assigned (CV-54)
  • No name assigned (CV-55)
• Midway-class
  • No name assigned (CV-44)
  • No name assigned (CVB-56)
  • No name assigned (CVB-57)
• United States-class
  • USS United States

Escort aircraft carrier

The United States Navy also had a sizable fleet of escort aircraft carriers during World War II and the era that followed. These ships were both quicker and cheaper to build than larger fleet carriers and were built in great numbers to serve as a stop-gap measure when fleet carriers were too few. However, they were usually too slow to keep up with naval task forces and would typically be assigned to amphibious operations, often seen in the Pacific war's island hopping campaign, or to convoy protection in the war in the Atlantic. To that end, many of these ships were transferred to the Royal Navy as part of the US-UK lend-lease program. While some of these ships were kept for a time in reserve after the war, none survive today, as they have all since been sunk or retired and scrapped. The following are the classes and stand-alone ships of the US Navy's escort carriers;

• Bogue-class (45 ships, 33 went to the RN)
• Sangamon-class (4 ships)
• Casablanca-class (50 ships)
• Commencement Bay-class (19 ships went into service, 4 were cancelled)
• Stand-alone ships;
  • No USN name given (AVG-1/BAVG-1) – went to the RN as HMS Archer (D78)
  • No USN name given (AVG-2/BAVG-2) – went to the RN as HMS Avenger (D14)
  • No USN name given (AVG-3/BAVG-3) – went to the RN as HMS Biter (D97), then later to the French Navy as Dixmude
  • No USN name given (AVG-4/BAVG-4) – went to the RN as HMS Charger (D27), later returned to USN as USS Charger (CVE-30)
  • No USN name given (AVG-5/BAVG-5) – went to the RN as HMS Dasher (D37)
  • No USN name given (BAVG-6) – went to the RN as HMS Tracker (D24)
  • USS Long Island

Amphibious assault ship

The United States Navy also has several full-deck, amphibious assault ships, which are larger than many of the aircraft carriers of other navies today.[17] These ships are STOVL-capable and can carry full squadrons of fixed-wing aircraft, such as the V/STOL AV-8B Harrier II and the STOVL F-35 Lightning II, along with numerous rotary-wing aircraft. Their primary purpose though, is usually to serve as the centerpiece and flagship for an Expeditionary Strike Group or Amphibious Ready Group, carrying US Marine Corps Expeditionary Units and their equipment close to shore for amphibious landings and departures. The following are ships and classes of US Navy amphibious assault ships;

Active

• Wasp-class amphibious assault ship (LHD) (843 ft, 40,500 tons)
  • USS Wasp
  • USS Essex
  • USS Kearsarge
  • USS Boxer
  • USS Bataan
  • USS Bonhomme Richard *awaiting disposal ^A
  • USS Iwo Jima
  • USS Makin Island
• America-class amphibious assault ship (LHA) (844 ft, 45,000 tons)
  • USS America
  • USS Tripoli

Under construction

• America-class amphibious assault ship
  • USS Bougainville

Planned

• America-class amphibious assault ship (11 total[18])
  • LHA-9 (ordered)[19]
  • LHA-10 (ordered)[20]
  • LHA-11 (planned)
  • LHA-12 (planned)
  • LHA-13 (planned)
  • LHA-14 (planned)
  • LHA-15 (planned)
  • LHA-16 (planned)

Retired

• Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship (LHA)
  • USS Tarawa – (On donation hold)
  • USS Saipan
  • USS Belleau Wood
  • USS Nassau – (On donation hold)
  • USS Peleliu – (In Reserve)
• Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship (LPH)
  • USS Iwo Jima
  • USS Okinawa
  • USS Guadalcanal
  • USS Guam
  • USS Tripoli – (Converted to missile trial platform with the National Defense Reserve Fleet in 2006, scrapped in 2018)
  • USS New Orleans
  • USS Inchon
• Stand-alone amphibious assault ships (all LPH, numbered in with the Iwo Jima class);
  • USS Block Island – (converted Commencement Bay-class escort carrier)
  • USS Boxer – (converted Essex-class aircraft carrier)
  • USS Princeton – (converted Essex-class aircraft carrier)
  • USS Thetis Bay – (converted Casablanca-class escort carrier)
  • USS Valley Forge – (converted Essex-class aircraft carrier)

note;