In this article, we look at 12 countries with the most aircraft carriers. You can skip our detailed analysis on trends in the naval industry, and head over directly to 5 Countries With Most Aircraft Carriers.
Aircraft carriers are naval vessels on which planes can land and take off from. The history of aircraft carriers dates back to November 1910 when Eugene Ely, an American pilot, flew a plane from the deck of a US cruiser in Birmingham, Virginia. The same pilot, a couple of months later in January 1911, made a landing on a battleship called Pennsylvania in San Francisco Bay.
The British navy also experimented and developed HMS Argus, the first real aircraft carrier for use during World War I. However, hostilities ceased before the carrier could be put in use in the conflict. USS Langley was the first aircraft carrier that joined the US Navy fleet in 1922. However, it was the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 that truly marked the entrance of aircraft carriers in military conflicts. Nearly eight decades later, the aircraft carrier still remains the most potent and dominant naval platform.
Manufacturers after that war ensured that new aircraft carriers that were being built were larger in size and also included armored flight decks. Moreover, heavy weights and high landing speeds of aircrafts created serious problems for the carriers. The British addressed these issues with innovating creations of landing signal systems, angled flight decks, and steam-powered catapults. Over the years, a number of variants of the aircraft carriers have been developed, such as nuclear-power aircraft carriers, helicopter carriers, and amphibious assault ships. It is also common today to see multipurpose aircraft carriers.
Aircraft Carrier Industry
The aircraft carrier industry is a multi-billion-dollar market, and according to a report, it is projected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 2% between 2023-2028. Growing territorial and geopolitical disputes in different regions across the world have propelled navies to procure aircraft carriers. Asia-Pacific in particular has become a global flashpoint with risks of military conflicts breaking out every now and then. As a result, it is likely to be the fastest growing region when it comes to procurement of aircraft carriers in the next five years, with countries like China, South Korea and India enhancing their naval arsenal.
Major Companies in the Industry
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII) is the largest military shipbuilding company in the US. It designs and builds nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for the American Navy. The Gerald R. Ford class, which is considered as the next-generation of aircraft carriers, is also being developed by the Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII). The naval platform will help the United States meet naval operational needs of the 21st century. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII) does not only produce and deliver these ships to the US Navy, it also offers service facilities throughout the lifetime of the aircraft carrier. The company generated $10.67 billion in revenues in 2022.
General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) is another key player in the aircraft carrier industry. This year in April 2023, it entered into a $847 million deal for seven years to repair, maintain and modernize aircraft carriers operated by the United States Navy. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) this year has also started work on constructing two John Lewis class fleet oilers and the ESB 8 expeditionary sea ship for the US Navy. General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE:GD) has been designing and building ships for the US military since the 1960s.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) is known for its aerospace capabilities, but has also lent support to the US military’s naval strength over the years. Its jets have been actively taking part in sea-based tests. In 2014, two F-35C jets made successful landings on the USS Nimitz in San Diego. In 2020, according to a report in Janes, Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) entered into a $245.5 million contract to perform sea-trials of the F-35 jet for international customers. The US Navy operates two classes of aircraft carriers – Nimitz and Ford. Both classes are equipped to have up to 75 aircrafts and usually accommodate 40 or more Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)’s F-35C fighters and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircrafts.
British multinational arms company, BAE Systems plc, was one of the lead members that worked with the UK Ministry of Defense in the delivery of the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers, which includes HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. These are the largest warships ever constructed in the history of the Royal Navy, and replaced the aging invincible class of carriers.
India’s Cochin Shipyard Limited, based in Kochi in the state of Kerala, built India’s first home-made aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, for an estimated $3.2 billion. It is also working on building another aircraft carrier named INS Vishal, which is expected to have a displacement of between 65-000-70,000 tonnes.
Methodology
We have ranked countries with most aircraft carriers using data sourced from Global Firepower Index 2023 and Popular Mechanics. Since there are very few countries that possess aircraft carriers, and most of them, with the exception of the United States, have only one or two carriers, we ranked countries based on tonnage in cases where the number of aircraft carriers were the same for two or more countries.
Let’s now head over to the list of countries with most aircraft carriers.
12. Thailand
Aircraft Carriers: 1
HTMS Chakri Naruebet is Thailand's and southeast Asia’s only aircraft carrier. Built in Spain, it was commissioned in 1997 and is the smallest aircraft carrier in the world with a displacement of only 11,486 tons. It has a range of 10,000 nautical miles at 12 knots. The carrier also has accommodation facilities for Thailand’s royal family.
11. Brazil
Aircraft Carriers: 1
Atlantico is the current flagship carrier of the Brazilian Navy. It was constructed as HMS Ocean in the United Kingdom, and used by the Royal Navy as a floating helicopter platform for the British Royal Marines. In 2018 it was decommissioned and sold to Brazil, where it was renamed Altantico. This is the only aircraft carrier in South America, and the Brazilian Navy aims to use the ship to operate drones. Atlantico has a tonnage of 21,500.
10. Spain
Aircraft Carriers: 1
Operated by the Spanish Navy, Juan Carlos I, is a multipurpose vessel that can be used as a light aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship. It was designed for expeditionary operations. Juan Carlos I has aviation facilities required for launching Spain’s Harrier fighter jets. According to the Spanish Ministry of Defense, the aircraft carrier has a range of 9,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. Its displacement is estimated to be 26,000 tonnes.
9. Turkey
Aircraft Carriers: 1
Turkey has one light aircraft carrier called TCG Anadolu which is equipped with aviation facilities including the ability to launch and land aircrafts on. President Erdogan’s government plans to equip Anadolu with Bayraktar TB3 after the US ejected Turkey from Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)’s F-35 program for acquiring air-defense missiles from Russia. TCG Anadolu has a displacement of over 27,000 tonnes. Turkey is also working on TCG Trakya, which it claims will be bigger than the TCG Anadolu.
8. France
Aircraft Carriers: 1
FS Charles de Gaulle is France’s only aircraft carrier. It is a nuclear-powered carrier that became operational in 2001. It is 858 feet long and comes with a displacement of 45,000 tons. It is one of the most capable carriers in the world due to its mix of Rafale fighter jets, E-2 Hawkeye aircrafts, and naval helicopters. Charles de Gaulle was to be one of France's two planned aircraft carriers, but the plans for the second one never materialized. As a result, whenever Charles de Gaulle is in drydock, the country is left without an aircraft carrier. The government has plans to replace Charles de Gaulle in the 2030s with a new carrier named Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération, which will have a displacement of over 75,000 tonnes.
7. Russia
Aircraft Carriers: 1
Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s only aircraft carrier, which was launched in 1985 and commissioned in 1991. The flat-top which displaces 58,000 tons was built at the Nikolayev shipyards in Ukraine during the Cold War. It has a range of 8,500 nautical miles and travels at a speed of 29 knots. The ship is now old and has suffered multiple breakdowns in the sea. According to Popular Mechanics, Admiral Kuznetsov is currently undergoing maintenance and upgrade this year, and will be operational again in late 2023.
6. Italy
Aircraft Carriers: 2
Giuseppe Garibaldi and Cavour are the two aircraft carriers of the Italian Navy. The first ship, which is named after a popular military general in the 19th century, was commissioned in 1985, and has taken part in NATO’s interventions in Afghanistan and Libya. It is set to be replaced soon by Trieste. The Cavour is the first Italian warship to launch and recover Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT)’s F-35 fighters. Both of these carriers have a combined displacement of over 41,000 tonnes.
