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

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 Navy	2	0	0
Brazil	Brazilian Navy	1	0	0
China	People's Liberation Army Navy	3	1	2 (4 planned)
Egypt	Egyptian Navy	2	0	0
France	French Navy	3	0	0
India	Indian Navy	0	0	0 (4 planned total)
Italy	Italian Navy	2	0	1
Japan	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force	4	0	0
Portugal	Portuguese Navy	0	0	1
Russia	Russian Navy	0	0	2 (3 planned total)
South Korea	Republic of Korea Navy	2	0	0
Spain	Spanish Navy	1	0	0
Thailand	Royal Thai Navy	1	0	0
Turkey	Turkish Naval Forces	1	0	0
United States	United States Navy	9	3	2 (11 planned total)

Helicopter carriers

Helicopter carriers currently in service

Country	Name	Length	Tonnage (MT)	Class	Propulsion	Type	Classification	Commission
Australia	Canberra	230.82 230.82 m (757 ft 3 in)	027500 27,500 t (27,100 long tons)	Canberra (modified Juan Carlos I)	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	28 November 2014
Australia	Adelaide	230.82 230.82 m (757 ft 3 in)	027500 27,500 t (27,100 long tons)	Canberra (modified Juan Carlos I)	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	4 December 2015
Brazil	Atlântico	203.4 203.4 m (667 ft 4 in)	021500 21,500 t (21,200 long tons)	Ocean	Conventional	VTOL	Multipurpose helicopter carrier	29 June 2018
China	Hainan	232 m (761 ft 2 in)	36,000 t (35,000 long tons)	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	23 April 2021
China	Guangxi	232 m (761 ft 2 in)	36,000 t (35,000 long tons)	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	26 December 2021
China	Anhui	232 m (761 ft 2 in)	36,000 t (35,000 long tons)	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	1 October 2022
China	Shichang	125 125 m (410 ft 1 in)	09500 9,500 t (9,300 long tons)	Type 0891A	Conventional	VTOL	Training ship	January 1997
Egypt	Gamal Abdel Nasser	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	021300 21,300 t (21,000 long tons)	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	2 June 2016
Egypt	Anwar El Sadat	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	021300 21,300 t (21,000 long tons)	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	16 September 2016
France	Mistral	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	021300 21,300 t (21,000 long tons)	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	December 2005
France	Tonnerre	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	021300 21,300 t (21,000 long tons)	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	December 2006
France	Dixmude	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	021300 21,300 t (21,000 long tons)	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	December 2011
Japan	Kaga	248 248 m (813 ft 8 in)	027000 27,000 t (27,000 long tons)	Izumo	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	22 March 2017
Japan	Izumo	248 248 m (813 ft 8 in)	027000 27,000 t (27,000 long tons)	Izumo	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	25 March 2015
Japan	Hyūga	197 197 m (646 ft 4 in)	013950 19,000 t (19,000 long tons)	Hyūga	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	18 March 2009
Japan	Ise	197 197 m (646 ft 4 in)	013950 19,000 t (19,000 long tons)	Hyūga	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	16 March 2011
South Korea	Dokdo	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	018800 18,800 t (18,500 long tons)	Dokdo	Conventional	VTOL	Landing platform helicopter	3 July 2007
South Korea	Marado	199 199 m (652 ft 11 in)	018800 18,800 t (18,500 long tons)	Dokdo	Conventional	VTOL	Landing platform helicopter	28 June 2021
Spain	Juan Carlos I	230.82 230.82 m (757 ft 3 in)	027079 27,079 t (26,651 long tons)	Juan Carlos I	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	30 September 2010
Thailand	Chakri Naruebet	182.65 182.65 m (599 ft 3 in)	11486 11,486 t (11,305 long tons)	Príncipe de Asturias	Conventional	STOVL	Helicopter carrier ("Light aircraft carrier")	27 March 1997
Turkey	Anadolu	232 m (761 ft 2 in)	27,079 t (26,651 long tons)	Anadolu	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	10 April 2023
US	America	257.3 257.3 m (844 ft 2 in)	045000 45,000 t (44,000 long tons)	America	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter assault	11 October 2014
US	Tripoli	257.3 257.3 m (844 ft 2 in)	045000 45,000 t (44,000 long tons)	America	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter assault	15 July 2020
US	Wasp	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040532 40,532 t (39,892 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	29 July 1989
US	Essex	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040650 40,650 t (40,010 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	17 October 1992
US	Kearsarge	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040500 40,500 t (39,900 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	16 October 1993
US	Boxer	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040722 40,722 t (40,079 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	11 February 1995
US	Bataan	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040358 40,358 t (39,721 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	20 September 1997
US	Iwo Jima	257 257 m (843 ft 2 in)	040530 40,530 t (39,890 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	30 June 2001
US	Makin Island	258 258 m (846 ft 5 in)	041649 41,649 t (40,991 long tons)	Wasp	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	24 October 2009

Retired helicopter carriers

• Albion (Royal Navy) – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1962 to 1973
• Andrea Doria (Italian Navy) – an Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1992
• Bonhomme Richard (United States Navy) – Wasp-class landing helicopter dock, active 1998–2020
• Bulwark (Royal Navy) – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1960 to 1981
• Caio Duilio (Italian Navy) - an Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1989
• Cobb (US Coast Guard), decommissioned in 1946 – world's first helicopter carrier.
• Illustrious (Royal Navy) – an Invincible-class light aircraft carrier, which operated as a helicopter carrier when HMS Ocean was being refitted.
• Iwo Jima (United States Navy) – lead of the seven-ship Iwo Jima class, active from the early 1960s to the early 2000s
• Jeanne d'Arc (French Navy), decommissioned in 2010
• Leningrad (Soviet Navy) – second of the two-ship Moskva class - active 1969–1991
• Moskva (Soviet Navy) – lead of the two-ship Moskva class, active 1967–1991
• ex-Ocean (Royal Navy) – helicopter carrier 1998–2018, decommissioned March 2018.
  • Sold to Brazil in February 2018, renamed Atlântico
• Vittorio Veneto (Italian Navy) – a helicopter cruiser active from 1969 to 2003

See also

• Amphibious transport dock
• Amphibious warfare ship
• Aviation-capable naval vessel
• List of STOVL carriers

References

1. "HMS Ocean (LPH01) Helicopter Carrier". Naval Technology. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
2. "Overview | Moskva Class | Collections | Research | National Cold War Exhibition". www.nationalcoldwarexhibition.org. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
3. ^ "LHD Wasp Class Amphibious Assault Ships". Naval Technology. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
4. "Depth from Above: Reinventing Carrier ASW | Center for International Maritime Security". 2022-10-12. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
5. "Brazil commissions helicopter carrier". www.janes.com. 29 June 2018.
6. Vavasseur, Xavier (2021-04-24). "China Commissions a Type 055 DDG, a Type 075 LHD and a Type 094 SSBN in a Single Day". Naval News. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
7. "12月26日正式服役！ 4萬噸"廣西艦"入列東部戰區，16個月創造奇蹟，預示關鍵時間點，針對台海詭譎，一錘定音！【一號哨所】". YouTube. 26 December 2021.
8. "New pictures released of Chinese Type 075 LHD Guangxi". Navy Recognition. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
9. "China's Third Type 075 LHD Starts Sea Trials". 28 November 2021.
10. Vavasseur, Xavier (2022-10-01). "China's 3rd Type 075 LHD Anhui 安徽 Commissioned With PLAN". Naval News. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
11. "Chinese navy's new warship takes part in 'combat-oriented training'". South China Morning Post. 2022-11-11. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
12. "DCNS delivers the second Mistral-class helicopter carrier to the Egyptian Navy, the LHD Anwar El Sadat". 16 September 2016.
13. ^ "Hyuga Class". JMSDF Gallery (in Japanese). JMSDF. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
14. ^ World Wide Aircraft Carriers
15. "America 'Sails Away' for Maiden Transit to San Diego Homeport". United States Navy. 10 October 2014.
16. "BBC News – Warship HMS Illustrious starts sea trials". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2014-04-20.

External links

Media related to Helicopter carriers at Wikimedia Commons

• Aircraft carriers
• Aircraft carriers by type
• Helicopter carriers