Helicopter carrier

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 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

Helicopter carriers

Helicopter carriers currently in use

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

External links

Media related to Helicopter carriers at Wikimedia Commons

1. Aircraft carrier
2. Brazilian helicopter carrier Atlântico
3. List of aircraft carriers
4. Moskva-class helicopter carrier
5. Light aircraft carrier
6. List of aircraft carriers in service
7. Landing helicopter dock
8. Landing platform helicopter
9. Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer
10. Anti-submarine warfare carrier
11. Invincible-class aircraft carrier
12. JS Kaga
13. Italian landing helicopter dock Trieste
14. Aircraft cruiser
15. Amphibious assault ship
16. Type 076 landing helicopter dock
17. Soviet helicopter carrier Moskva
18. List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union
19. Izumo-class destroyer
20. Centaur-class aircraft carrier