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

Helicopter carriers can either have a full-length aircraft deck like HMS Ocean,^[1] or have a large helicopter deck, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's Moskva class, the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A or RFA Argus. A full-length deck maximises deck space for helicopter landing spots. Such a design also allows for a hangar deck.

Pure helicopter carriers are difficult to define in the 21st century. The advent of STOVL aircraft such as the Harrier Jump Jet 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.

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
Egypt	Egyptian Navy	2	0	0
France	French Navy	3	0	0
India	Indian Navy	0	0	0 (+ 4 planned)
Japan	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force	3	0	1
South Korea	Republic of Korea Navy	1	0	1 (+ 2 planned)
Spain	Royal Spanish Navy	1	0	0
Turkey	Turkish Navy	0	0	1
United Kingdom	Royal Navy	2	0	0
United States	United States Navy	9	3	1 (+ 10 planned)

Helicopter carriers

Helicopter carriers currently in use

Country	Name (Hull number)	Length	Tonnage (mt)	Class	Propulsion	Type	Classification	Commission
Australia	Canberra (L02)	230.82 230.82 m (757.3 ft)	027500 27,500 mt	Canberra (modified Juan Carlos I)	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002014-11-28-000028 November 2014
Australia	Adelaide (L01)	230.82 230.82 m (757.3 ft)	027500 27,500 mt	Canberra (modified Juan Carlos I)	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002015-12-04-00004 December 2015
Egypt	Gamal Abdel Nasser (L1010)	199 199 m (653 ft)	021300 21,300 mt	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Helicopter Dock	2 June 2016 ^[2]
Egypt	Anwar El Sadat (L1020)	199 199 m (653 ft)	021300 21,300 mt	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Helicopter Dock	16 September 2016
France	Mistral (L9013)	199 199 m (653 ft)	021300 21,300 mt	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002005-12-01-0000December 2005
France	Tonnerre (L9014)	199 199 m (653 ft)	021300 21,300 mt	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002006-12-01-0000December 2006
France	Dixmude (L9015)	199 199 m (653 ft)	021300 21,300 mt	Mistral	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002011-12-01-0000December 2011
Japan	JDS Izumo (DDH-183)	248 248 m (814 ft)	027000 27,000 mt	Izumo	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	000000002015-03-25-000025 March 2015
Japan	Hyūga (DDH-181)	197 197 m (646 ft)^[3]	019000 19,000 mt	Hyūga	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	000000002009-03-18-000018 March 2009
Japan	Ise (DDH-182)	197 197 m (646 ft)^[3]	019000 19,000 mt	Hyūga	Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	000000002011-03-16-000016 March 2011
South Korea	Dokdo (LPH-6111)	199 199 m (653 ft)	018800 18,800 mt	Dokdo	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Platform Helicopter	000000002007-07-03-00003 July 2007
Spain	Juan Carlos I (L-61)	230.82 230.82 m (757.3 ft)	027079 27,079 mt	Juan Carlos I	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002010-09-30-000030 September 2010
UK	Ocean (L12)	203.4 203.4 m (667 ft)	021500 21,500 mt	Ocean	Conventional	VTOL	Landing Platform Helicopter	000000001998-09-30-000030 September 1998
UK	RFA Argus (A135)^[4]	175.1 175.1 m (574 ft)	020081 20,081 mt	Unique merchant conversion	Conventional	VTOL	Aviation Training Ship	000000001988-06-01-00001 June 1988
US	America (LHA-6)	257.3 257.3 m (844 ft)	045000 45,000 mt	America^[5]	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Assault	000000002014-10-11-000011 October 2014^[6]
US	Wasp (LHD-1)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040532 40,532 mt	Wasp^[5]	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001989-07-29-000029 July 1989
US	Essex (LHD-2)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040650 40,650 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001992-10-17-000017 October 1992
US	Kearsarge (LHD-3)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040500 40,500 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001993-10-16-000016 October 1993
US	Boxer (LHD-4)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040722 40,722 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001995-02-11-000011 February 1995
US	Bataan (LHD-5)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040358 40,358 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001997-09-20-000020 September 1997
US	Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040500 40,500 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000001998-08-15-000015 August 1998
US	Iwo Jima (LHD-7)	257 257 m (843 ft)	040530 40,530 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002001-06-30-000030 June 2001
US	Makin Island (LHD-8)	258 258 m (846 ft)	041649 41,649 mt	Wasp	Conventional	STOVL	Landing Helicopter Dock	000000002009-10-24-000024 October 2009

Retired helicopter carriers

USS Iwo Jima (United States Navy) – the lead ship of the Iwo Jima class
HMS Bulwark, HMS Albion, (Royal Navy) – helicopter carriers of the 1960s–1980s
Moskva class (Soviet Navy)
Vittorio Veneto class (Italian Marina Militare)
Jeanne d'Arc (French Navy, decommissioned in 2010)
USCGC Cobb (WPG-181) (US Coast Guard, decommissioned in 1946) – World's first helicopter carrier.
HMS Illustrious (Royal Navy) An Invincible-class light aircraft carrier, which operated as a helicopter carrier when HMS Ocean was being refitted.^[7]

Helicopter carriers under construction

Dixmude a Mistral class helicopter carrier of the French Navy

Mistral class amphibious assault ship. Originally two ships were under construction for the Russian Navy but As of September 23, 2015, the two Mistral ships are to be sold to Egypt; after cancellation of deal with Russia by France due to Russia's involvement in Ukraine.^[8]^[9]
Izumo-class helicopter destroyer The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force launched JDS Kaga (DDH-184) on August 27, 2015 in efforts to replace the aging helicopter destroyer Shirane-class JDS Kurama. The carrier is set to be commissioned in March 2017.

References

↑ "HMS Ocean (LPH01) Helicopter Carrier". Naval Technology. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
↑ "DCNS DELIVERS THE SECOND MISTRAL-CLASS HELICOPTER CARRIER TO THE EGYPTIAN NAVY, THE LHD ANWAR EL SADAT". 16 September 2016.
1 2 "Hyuga Class". JMSDF Gallery(Japanese). JMSDF. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
↑ B. Ireland and F. Crosby (2011). The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aircraft Carriers And Naval Aircraft. Hermes House. p. 189.
1 2 World Wide Aircraft Carriers
↑ "America 'Sails Away' for Maiden Transit to San Diego Homeport.". United States Navy. 10 October 2014.
↑ "BBC News – Warship HMS Illustrious starts sea trials". Bbc.co.uk. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
↑ "France, Egypt agree 656 million pounds Mistral warship deal".
↑ "France to Sell Two Mistral Warships to Egypt".

External links

Media related to Helicopter carriers at Wikimedia Commons

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