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List of Aircraft Carriers by Country 2022

Aircraft Carriers by Country

Having the number of Aircraft carriers bolsters the strength of the Navy of the particular country. With the changing geopolitical conditions, countries globally are coming up with advancements and modernization in their defence system and in that scenario, aircraft carriers do also play a significant role as warfare assets globally. These Aircraft are basically floating airbases which provide a full-length flight deck which is capable of carrying, arming, deploying and recovering aircraft. With the help of Aircraft Carrers, Navy can project air power globally which also reduces the dependency on local bases to conduct any aircraft operation.

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What is an Aircraft Carrier?

An aircraft carrier is “a large ship that carries military aircraft and has a long, plane platform which is used for taking off and landing of Aircraft Carriers.”

As per the definition of  Britannica, carriers were first used in combat during the early stages of World War II. Japanese displayed the potential of the aircraft carrier when they attacked Pearl Harbor by carrier-based aircraft on 7 December 1941. The importance of roles of Aircraft Carriers was highlighted during WW2 in Pacific theatres such as Midway Island, Coral Sea, and Leyte Gulf.

For the first time, they were used by the British navy during World War I by manufacturing the first true carrier with an unobstructed flight deck. However, the war ended before the British could put that into use but the US and Japan grabbed that opportunity. USS Langley, a converted collier was the first US carrier to join the naval fleet in March 1922 while the Japanese carrier Hosyo entered service in December 1922.

The USS Enterprise was the first nuclear-powered carrier with no need for fuel bunkers, smokestacks, and ducts for the elimination of exhaust gases. On the other hand, Modern Aircraft carriers are lighter, equipped with a number of electronic gear for the detection of submarines and even provide platforms to helicopters for conducting operations on land and as well as in water. Nowadays multipurpose carriers are procured which are having multitasking capabilities and are efficient for the modern warfare ecosystem.

List of Aircraft Carriers by Country

Number of Aircraft Carriers 
Country Total In service In reserve Decommissioned Under construction Never completed
United States 68 10 2 56 3 12
 United Kingdom 41 2 0 40 2 12
 Japan 20 0 0 20 0 4
 France 8 1 0 7 0 7
 Russia 7 1 0 6 0 2
 Australia 3 0 0 3 0 0
Canada 3 0 0 3 0 0
 Spain 3 1 1 1 0 1
India 3 2 0 1 2 2
 Italy 2 2 0 0 0 2
 Brazil 2 1 0 1 0 0
 China 1 1 0 0 1 0
 Thailand 1 1 0 0 0 0
 Argentina 2 0 0 2 0 0
 Netherlands 1 0 0 1 0 0
 Germany 0 0 0 0 0 8

 

How Many Aircraft Carriers Does India Have?

PM Modi commissioned India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Vikrant on the 2nd of September 2022 at Kochi. With that, the Naval fleet of India now includes two aircraft carriers. India’s older aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya, was built in the Soviet Union in 1987. It served with the Soviet navy and at that time, its name was Admiral Gorshkov, and later it served with the Russian navy before decommissioning in 1996. India purchased it in 2004 and put it into use.

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Aircraft Carriers by Country: FAQs

Que. What are the names of Indian Aircraft Carriers?
Ans. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

Que. When the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier of India was inducted?
Ans. Vikrant was inducted on the 2nd of September 2022 at Kochi.

Que. Which country has the most Aircraft Carriers?
Ans. The US has currently 10 operating Aircraft Carriers.

FAQs

Que. What are the names of Indian Aircraft Carriers?

Ans. INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

Que. When the first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier of India was inducted?

Ans. Vikrant was inducted on the 2nd of September 2022 at Kochi.

Que. Which country has the most Aircraft Carriers?

Ans. The US has currently 10 operating Aircraft Carriers.