Helicopter carrier

JDS Hyūga, a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer

A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. A helicopter carrier has a large flight deck that occupies a large part of the ship, which can extend the full length of the ship like HMS Ocean[1] of the Royal Navy (RN), or only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's Moskva class, the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A or the RN's RFA Argus. It often also has a hangar deck for the storage of aircraft.

Pure helicopter carriers are difficult to define in the 21st century. The advent of STOVL aircraft such as the Harrier Jump Jet, and now the F-35, have complicated the classification; the United States Navy's Wasp class, for instance, carries six to eight Harriers as well as over 20 helicopters. Only smaller carriers unable to operate the Harrier and older pre-Harrier-era carriers can be regarded as true helicopter carriers. In many cases, other carriers, able to operate STOVL aircraft, are classified as "light aircraft carriers". Other vessels, such as the Wasp class, are also capable of embarking troops such as marines and landing them ashore; they are classified as amphibious assault ships.

Helicopter carriers have been used as anti-submarine warfare carriers and amphibious assault ships.

HMS Hermes and two of her sisters were 22,000 ton fleet carriers converted to "commando carriers" only able to operate helicopters. Hermes was later converted to a STOVL carrier.

Helicopter carriers by country

Country Navy In service In reserve Under construction
 Australia Royal Australian Navy200
 Brazil Brazilian Navy100
 Egypt Egyptian Navy200
 France French Navy300
 India Indian Navy000 (4 planned total)
 Japan Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force400
 Russia Russian Navy000 (3 planned total)
 South Korea Republic of Korea Navy201
 Spain Royal Spanish Navy100
 Thailand Royal Thai Navy100
 Turkey Turkish Naval Forces001
 United Kingdom Royal Navy000
 United States United States Navy931 (11 planned total)

Helicopter carriers

Helicopter carriers currently in use

Country Name (Hull number) Length Tonnage (mt) Class Propulsion Type Classification Commission
 Australia Canberra (L02) 230.82 m (757.3 ft) 27,500 mt Canberra
(modified Juan Carlos I)		 Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 28 November 2014
 Australia Adelaide (L01) 230.82 m (757.3 ft) 27,500 mt Canberra
(modified Juan Carlos I)		 Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 4 December 2015
 Brazil PHM Atlântico (A140) 203.4 m (667 ft) 21,500 mt Conventional VTOL Landing Platform Helicopter 29 June 2018[2]
 Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010) 199 m (653 ft) 21,300 mt Mistral Conventional VTOL Landing Helicopter Dock 2 June 2016[3]
 Egypt Anwar El Sadat (L1020) 199 m (653 ft) 21,300 mt Mistral Conventional VTOL Landing Helicopter Dock 16 September 2016
 France Mistral (L9013) 199 m (653 ft) 21,300 mt Mistral Conventional VTOL Landing Helicopter Dock December 2005
 France Tonnerre (L9014) 199 m (653 ft) 21,300 mt Mistral Conventional VTOL Landing Helicopter Dock December 2006
 France Dixmude (L9015) 199 m (653 ft) 21,300 mt Mistral Conventional VTOL Landing Helicopter Dock December 2011
 Japan JS Kaga (DDH-184) 248 m (814 ft) 27,000 mt Izumo Conventional VTOL Helicopter destroyer 22 March 2017
 Japan JS Izumo (DDH-183) 248 m (814 ft) 27,000 mt Izumo Conventional VTOL Helicopter destroyer 25 March 2015
 Japan JS Hyūga (DDH-181) 197 m (646 ft)[4] 19,000 mt Hyūga Conventional VTOL Helicopter destroyer 18 March 2009
 Japan JS Ise (DDH-182) 197 m (646 ft)[4] 19,000 mt Hyūga Conventional VTOL Helicopter destroyer 16 March 2011
 South Korea Dokdo (LPH-6111) 199 m (653 ft) 18,800 mt Dokdo Conventional VTOL Landing Platform Helicopter 3 July 2007
 South Korea Marado (LPH-6112) 199 m (653 ft) 18,800 mt Dokdo Conventional VTOL Landing Platform Helicopter 3 July 2018
 Spain Juan Carlos I (L-61) 230.82 m (757.3 ft) 27,079 mt Juan Carlos I Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 30 September 2010
 UK Argus (A135)[5] 175.1 m (574 ft) 20,081 mt Unique merchant conversion Conventional VTOL Aviation Training Ship 1 June 1988
 US America (LHA-6) 257.3 m (844 ft) 45,000 mt America[6] Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Assault 11 October 2014[7]
 US Wasp (LHD-1) 257 m (843 ft) 40,532 mt Wasp[6] Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 29 July 1989
 US Essex (LHD-2) 257 m (843 ft) 40,650 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 17 October 1992
 US Kearsarge (LHD-3) 257 m (843 ft) 40,500 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 16 October 1993
 US Boxer (LHD-4) 257 m (843 ft) 40,722 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 11 February 1995
 US Bataan (LHD-5) 257 m (843 ft) 40,358 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 20 September 1997
 US Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) 257 m (843 ft) 40,500 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 15 August 1998
 US Iwo Jima (LHD-7) 257 m (843 ft) 40,530 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 30 June 2001
 US Makin Island (LHD-8) 258 m (846 ft) 41,649 mt Wasp Conventional STOVL Landing Helicopter Dock 24 October 2009

Retired helicopter carriers

See also

References

  1. ↑ "HMS Ocean (LPH01) Helicopter Carrier". Naval Technology. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
  2. ↑ "Brazil commissions helicopter carrier". www.janes.com. 29 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "DCNS delivers the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier to the Egyptian Navy, the LHD Anwar El Sadat". 16 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Hyuga Class". JMSDF Gallery (in Japanese). JMSDF. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  5. ↑ B. Ireland and F. Crosby (2011). The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aircraft Carriers And Naval Aircraft. Hermes House. p. 189.
  6. 1 2 World Wide Aircraft Carriers
  7. ↑ "America 'Sails Away' for Maiden Transit to San Diego Homeport". United States Navy. 10 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "BBC News – Warship HMS Illustrious starts sea trials". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2014-04-20.

Media related to Helicopter carriers at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.