Global list of all flat tops in service

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Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

Color Key:

Bold = ship in commission
red = completed - sea trials
blue = launched - fitting out
green = under construction
gray = officially ordered

FLEET CARRIERS (CV/CVN/CVL):

USA

  1. USS Nimitz (CVN-68): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1975
  2. USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1977
  3. USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1982
  4. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1986
  5. USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1989
  6. USS George Washington (CVN-73): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1992
  7. USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1995
  8. USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 1998
  9. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 2003
  10. USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 2009
  11. USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR - 2017
  12. USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR (scheduled to be commissioned in 2020)
  13. USS Enterprise (CVN-80): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR (scheduled to be commissioned in 2027)
  14. (CVN-81): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR (scheduled to be commissioned in 2030)
  15. (CVN-82): 100,000 tons - CATOBAR (scheduled to be commissioned in 2034)

UK

  1. HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08): 70,000 tons - STOVL - 2017
  2. HMS Prince of Wales (R09): 70,000 tons - STOVL (scheduled to be commissioned 2020)

CHINA

  1. Liaoning (CV-16): 65,000 tons - STOBAR - 2012 (ex-Soviet Varyag, orig. launched 1988)
  2. Type 001A (CV-17): 65,000 tons - STOBAR (estimated to be commissioned in 2020)
  3. Type 002 (CV-18): 85,000 tons - CATOBAR (estimated to be commissioned in 2022)

RUSSIA

  1. Admiral Kuznetsov (063): 65,000 tons - STOBAR - 1991

INDIA

  1. INS Vikramaditya (R33): 45,000 tons - STOBAR - 2013 (ex-Russian Admiral Gorshkov, orig. commissioned 1987)
  2. INS Vikrant (IAC-1): 40,000 tons - STOBAR (scheduled to be commissioned in 2023)

FRANCE

  1. FS Charles de Gaulle (R91): 42,000 tons - CATOBAR - 2001

ITALY

  1. ITS Cavour (550): 30,000 tons - STOVL - 2008

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT CARRIERS (LHD/LHA/LPH):

USA

  1. USS Wasp (LHD-1): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1989
  2. USS Essex (LHD-2): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1992
  3. USS Kearsarge (LHD-3): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1993
  4. USS Boxer (LHD-4): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1995
  5. USS Bataan (LHD-5): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1997
  6. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 1998
  7. USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 2001
  8. USS Makin Island (LHD-8): 41,000 tons - STOVL - 2009
  9. USS America (LHA-6): 45,000 tons - STOVL - 2014
  10. USS Tripoli (LHA-7): 45,000 tons - STOVL (scheduled to be commissioned in 2020)
  11. USS Bougainville (LHA-8): 45,000 tons - STOVL (scheduled to be commissioned in 2024)

CHINA

  1. Type 075: 40,000 tons - Helicopter (estimated to be commissioned in 2020)
  2. Type 075: 40,000 tons - Helicopter (estimated to be commissioned in ????)

ITALY

  1. ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi (551): 14,000 tons - Helicopter - 1985 (former STOVL CVL now serves as an interim LPH, retains STOVL capabilities)
  2. ITS Trieste: 32,000 tons - Helicopter (scheduled to be commissioned in 2022 to replace ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi)

AUSTRALIA

  1. HMAS Canberra (LHD 02): 27,000 tons - Helicopter - 2014
  2. HMAS Adelaide (LHD 01): 27,000 tons - Helicopter - 2015

SPAIN

  1. SPS Juan Carlos I (L61): 27,000 tons - STOVL - 2010 (multi-role ship serves as a LHD/CVL hybrid)

TURKEY

  1. TCG Anadolu (L-408): 27,000 tons - STOVL (multi-role ship will serve as a LHD/CVL hybrid, scheduled to be commissioned in 2021)

BRAZIL

  1. PHM Atlantico (A140): 21,600 tons - Helicopter - 2018 (ex-british HMS Ocean, orig. commissioned 1998)

FRANCE

  1. FS Mistral (L9013): 21,300 tons - Helicopter - 2006
  2. FS Tonnerre (L9014): 21,300 tons - Helicopter - 2006
  3. FS Dixmude (L9015): 21,300 tons - Helicopter - 2012

EGYPT

  1. ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010): 21,300 tons - Helicopter - 2016
  2. ENS Anwar El Sadat (L1020): 21,300 tons - Helicopter - 2016

SOUTH KOREA

  1. ROKS Dokdo (LPH-6111): 18,800 tons - Helicopter - 2007
  2. ROKS Marado (LPH-6112): 18,800 tons - Helicopter (scheduled to be commissioned in 2020)

THAILAND

  1. HTMS Chakri Naruebet (CVH-911): 11,500 tons - Helicopter - 1997 (former STOVL CVL now only operates with helicopters. rarely in service due to lack of funding)

ASW HELICOPTER CARRIERS:

JAPAN

  1. JS Hyuga (DDH-181): 19,000 tons - Helicopter - 2009
  2. JS Ise (DDH-182): 19,000 tons - Helicopter - 2011
  3. JS Izumo (DDH-183): 27,000 tons - Helicopter - 2015
  4. JS Kaga (DDH-184): 27,000 tons - Helicopter -2017

the Helicopter/STOVL differentiation between amphibious assault ships is based merely upon what the ships regularly deploy with. it's theoretically possible for STOVL fixed-wing aircraft to operate on any open deck, but the distinction is whether the ship is specifically designed to carry, operate, and maintain fixed-wing STOVL aircraft, and does so during standard operations.

not included are smaller amphib flat tops like italy's san giorgios and japan's osumis because, while they can certainly land and store helicopters on their open decks, they do not have dedicated hanger space to properly operate and maintain a fleet of aircraft.

Original post

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 13,432

Hyuuga & Ise aren't amphibious warfare ships. They're ASW helicopter carriers.

Japan also has three Oosumi-class amphibious ships, classed as LSTs but with through decks: Oosumi, Shimokita & Kunisaki - ca 13000 tons.

Italy has has three Santi amphibious ships, classed as LPDs but with through decks: San Giorgio, San Marco & San Giusto - ca 8000 tons.

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 1,010

And ex. varyag almost certainly won't be commissioned in 2012. Even if its fully complete by the end of this year and sails on its own, it will take a year or two or three of testing. Both the ship and J15s operating from the ship. I'd say commissioning won't come before 2014., with 2015. being the likelier date. And even that'd be Initial operational capability. Full operational capability would come a few years after that.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

^ you're right. i'll leave the date open for now.

Hyuuga & Ise aren't amphibious warfare ships. They're ASW helicopter carriers.

true. they're somewhat in a category by themselves these days. i'll change that.


Japan also has three Oosumi-class amphibious ships, classed as LSTs but with through decks: Oosumi, Shimokita & Kunisaki - ca 13000 tons.

Italy has has three Santi amphibious ships, classed as LPDs but with through decks: San Giorgio, San Marco & San Giusto - ca 8000 tons.

"not included are smaller amphib flat tops like italy's san giorgios and japan's osumis because, while they can certainly land and store helicopters on their open decks, they do not have dedicated hanger space to properly operate and maintain a fleet of aircraft."

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 13,432

Ooops! I missed that last bit.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

^ a good resource, but a bit out of date. examples: jean d'arc was decommissioned last september. 2nd units of hyuga and dokdo and 3rd mistral are missing entirely. it lists the 3 invincibles as still being in commission. it sill lists CVF as planned to operate STOVL instead of CATOBAR. etc.

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 630

And ex. varyag almost certainly won't be commissioned in 2012. Even if its fully complete by the end of this year and sails on its own, it will take a year or two or three of testing. Both the ship and J15s operating from the ship. I'd say commissioning won't come before 2014., with 2015. being the likelier date. And even that'd be Initial operational capability. Full operational capability would come a few years after that.

"Commissioning" dates are sort of meaningless these days, because different navies use different yardsticks for commissioning.

The USN tends to commission its CVNs very early - CVN-76 was commissioned right after her initial sea trials (builder's trials + basic ship acceptance trials), CVN-77 was commissioned even before her builder's trials! (How that makes sense I don't know)

Other navies typically commission much later. For the Royal Navy and French Navy, commissioning means IOC - i.e. all the ship's systems have been tested and proven to work, defects have been corrected during the first docking period, and the builder's contractual requirements have ended. This usually happens 1-2 years after initial sea trials.

Another kink is that sometimes Wiki entries confuse commissioning with FOC and "entry into active service", which usually takes at least another year after IOC/delivery.

The confusion makes it very hard to compare ship's ages. For example Charles de Gaulle is often mistakenly said to have commissioned in May 2001, when in fact by USN standards she commissioned in May 1999.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

poking around, i just discovered that the USS Nassau LHA-4 was decommissioned at the end of march. that leaves only 9 active LHD/LHA ships in the USN. i had always thought the plan was to maintain 10 gators in active service and retire LHA-4 when the USS america LHA-6 joined the fleet, but i guess i was wrong. i suppose they will now hang on to the last tarawa class boat, the USS peleliu LHA-5, until america is commissioned. or will they further reduce the gators to just the 8 wasp ships before the america class ships start coming in?

Member for

17 years 4 months

Posts: 70

French Aircraft Carrier name is "Charles de Gaulle".
French BPC Dixmude is due to commission in 2012.
MB NAe Sao Paulo's deck didn't see any aircraft since 2005.
Thai Navy has no more AV8S jet fighters for years, so Chakri Naruebet is just an helicopter carrier.

Regards

X

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

French Aircraft Carrier name is "Charles de Gaulle".

whoops, good catch on the spelling error.


French BPC Dixmude is due to commission in 2012.

thanks for the correction. wikipedia says the ship is due to be commissioned in may of 2011, but we all know how out of date or just straight up wrong info on wikipedia can be.


MB NAe Sao Paulo's deck didn't see any aircraft since 2005.

aren't the sao paulo's refurbished A-4s due to be back in service within the year?


Thai Navy has no more AV8S jet fighters for years, so Chakri Naruebet is just an helicopter carrier.

i didn't know they no longer had any harriers to fly off of her. the naruebet sure does seem to be quite the odd duck vanity project that was perhaps a bit more than the thai navy could really pull off.

Member for

18 years 10 months

Posts: 3,614


French BPC Dixmude is due to commission in 2012.
Regards

X

thanks for the correction. wikipedia says the ship is due to be commissioned in may of 2011, but we all know how out of date or just straight up wrong info on wikipedia can be.

Dixmunde has just started sea trials.

7+ months of trials before commissioning?

For the 3rd of class?

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 630

Check my prior post. The actual "commissioning" date means nothing because different navies use different milestones for commissioning, and the concept itself doesn't even always translate to other languages.

For the USN, commissioning happens sometime around the short initial sea trials (usually very shortly after). AFAIK, all it means is that the ship's engines and safety equipment work and that it is seaworthy and has been "accepted" by the navy to start the rest of its work-up trials.

For the RN, AFAIK commissioning actually means "contractual delivery". This means that the shipyard has finished its job: ALL trials (including systems & aviation trials) have been completed, defects identified and addressed during the initial docking period (bar some niggles with the combat system, often, as in the case of PAAMS). This usually can take anywhere from 6 months to a year and means that the ship is ready to start the long operational work-up process (exercises, mini-deployments etc) before being declared fully operational.

For the Marine Nationale, "livraison" (delivery) means commissioning in the RN sense of the term. However, an additional level of confusion (especially when translating to English) is often introduced because the MN often cites "admission au service actif" dates, which is the actual FOC date when the ship is ready to deploy. This is often mistakenly translated as the "commissioning" date, or sometimes as "entry in service" which is still rather open to confusion.

For Dixmude, she is now commissioned in the USN sense. She now goes to Toulon to install and work-up her combat systems, weapons and perform docking & helicopter trials. Following this she will be contractually delivered (commissioned in the RN sense) right at the end of 2011 or early 2012. Her operational work-up (including typically a mini-deployment to the South Atlantic or Indian Ocean) will then take-up her to summer 2012, when she will enter active service.

Member for

14 years 4 months

Posts: 130

For FRANCE

1 AIRCRAFTS-CARRIER (CATOBAR)
Charles-de-Gaulle (R91), 42 000 tons:
Ordered 03 february 1986, First steel-cut by 24 november 1987, laid-down 14 april 1989, First "technical launching" by 19 december 1992, "officially" launched by 07 mai 1994, commissioned 18 may 2001.

3 AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT CARRIERS (LHD)
Mistral (L9013) and Tonnerre (L9014), up to 21 000 tons
(Both ships progressively ordered by 08 december 2000-13 july 2001)

Mistral (L9013):
(First cut-steel of the aft part by 09 july 2002, first cut-steel of the forward part 28 january 2003, both section assembled, ship launched 06 october 2004, commissioned 15 december 2006)

Tonnerre (L9014):
(Aft keel laid-down 13 december 2002, forward keel laid-down 26 august 2003, both section assembled, launched 26 july 2005, commissioned 01 august 2007

Dixmude (L9015), up to 21 000 tons:
Ordered by early 2009, First steel-cut by 18 april 2009, keel laid-down by 21 january 2010, launched 18 december 2010, currently under trials/final completion stage, to be commissioned by early 2012

Member for

16 years 3 months

Posts: 630

I give up... I write a long post to explain the difference between commissioning and "entry in active service", and the next post continues to confuse the two!

Member for

17 years 4 months

Posts: 70

I give up... I write a long post to explain the difference between commissioning and "entry in active service", and the next post continues to confuse the two!

Your explanation is the right one, I apologize to use the wrong term. In French, we don't use the term "commission", but "essais à la mer" or "sea trials", then "entrée en service" when the ship is fitted with all sensors and weapons, and is OK to be used by the French Navy. For the moment, the Dixmude has no combat system. She has to sail to Toulon Naval Base to be fitted with.

About Nae Sao Paulo, the problem is that only 2 of 23 AF1 (A4K) Skyhawk seem to be able to fly. Most of Navy pilots didn't have any carrier training for years, so it's difficult to consider that this ship is actually serviceable. But you're right, there is a plan to modernize the Skyhawks and some stoofs have been purchased and modernized for AEW and COD duties.

regards

X

Member for

17 years 7 months

Posts: 30


this is the best info i could cull together from various web sources. i'm still not clear on what the exact outcome of the CVFs will be, but i guess no one is certain at this time. and south korea is planning more dokdo's and japan is planning on some larger hyuga's, but i can't find info as to whether anything has been finalized order-wise.

Modified Hyuga class DDH(22DDH) was ordered in FY2010(Heisei 22). Building cost is 113.9 Billion Yen, constructed by IHI Marine United Yokohama from 1 April 2011. 22DDH will replace DDH-143 Shirane in March, 2015.

http://www.nikkan.co.jp/news/nkx0120110401agbx.html

Japanese MOD considers DDH-144 Kurama will be replaced by 2nd 22DDH class, 24DDH in 2017.

Hyuga (and DDH Shirane class) and Osumi class are operating on Tohoku Tsunami relief. These ships are very useful in that situation like that natural disaster. Even if Japan has financial problem after that disaster, government will secure 24DDH building cost.

2nd Dokdo class was practically canceled. Korean government altered their naval doctrine after North Korea attack on their islands.

Member for

18 years 9 months

Posts: 13,432

Thanks for the link. If I understand it correctly, this is the ship previously described, 248 metres long, 38 metres beam, 19500 tons displacement, 970 crew, 5 helicopter landing spots,

The displacement is presumably standard, as is usual for the JMSDF - i.e. maybe 24-25000 tons full load.

That's 4 metres longer & 1 metre narrower than Cavour.

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 104

^^ xtr970, thanks for the info regarding japan's new 22DDH.

so is it safe to say that proper construction of 22DDH has begun now?

Member for

13 years 5 months

Posts: 770

Thanks for the link. If I understand it correctly, this is the ship previously described, 248 metres long, 38 metres beam, 19500 tons displacement, 970 crew, 5 helicopter landing spots,

The displacement is presumably standard, as is usual for the JMSDF - i.e. maybe 24-25000 tons full load.

That's 4 metres long & 1 metre narrower than Cavour.

And the Japanese call that a "Destroyer"!!!!:D

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14 years 8 months

Posts: 387

Politics my friend....it runs militaries and distroys militaries....

Remeber the Counties ;)