Helicopter carrier

File:HMAS Canberra in July 2019.jpg

. Most modern helicopter carriers are amphibious assault ships.

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 of the Royal Navy (RN), or extend only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's 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 , 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 landing helicopter docks.

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

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	Fitting out	Under construction
	Template:Naval	1	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	2	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	1	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	3	1	0	2 (4 planned)
	Template:Navy/core	2	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	3	0	0	0
	Template:Navy/core	0	0	0	0 (4 planned total)
	Template:Naval	2	0	0	1
	Template:Navy/core	4	0	0	0
	Template:Navy/core	0	0	0	1
	Template:Navy/core	0	0	1	0
	Template:Navy/core	0	0	0	2 (3 planned total)
	Template:Navy/core	2	0	0	0
	Template:Navy/core	1	0	0	0
	Template:Navy/core	1	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	1	0	0	0
	Template:Naval	9	3	0	2 (11 planned total)

Helicopter carriers

Helicopter carriers currently in service

Country	Name	Length	Tonnage (MT)	Class	Propulsion	Type	Classification	Commission
Algeria		143	008800 8800 t	Improved San Giusto (modified )	Conventional	STOVL	Amphibious transport dockTemplate:Efn	Template:Dts
Australia		230.82	027500 Template:Cvt	(modified )	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
Australia		230.82	027500 Template:Cvt	(modified )	Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
Brazil		203.4	021500 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Multipurpose helicopter carrier	Template:Dts
China	Hainan		Template:Cvt	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	23 April 2021
China	Guangxi		Template:Cvt	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	26 December 2021
China	Anhui		Template:Cvt	Type 075 (NATO reporting name Yushen class)	Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	1 October 2022
China	Shichang	125	09500 Template:Cvt	Type 0891A	Conventional	VTOL	Training ship	Template:Dts
Egypt		199	021300 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
Egypt		199	021300 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
France		199	021300 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
France		199	021300 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
France		199	021300 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
Japan		248	027000 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	Template:Dts
Japan		248	027000 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	Template:Dts
Japan		197	013950 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	Template:Dts
Japan		197	013950 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Helicopter destroyer	Template:Dts
South Korea	Template:ROKS	199	018800 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing platform helicopter	Template:Dts
South Korea	Template:ROKS	199	018800 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing platform helicopter	28 June 2021
Spain		230.82	027079 Template:Cvt		Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
Thailand	Template:HTMS	182.65	11486 Template:Cvt		Conventional	STOVL	Helicopter carrier ("Light aircraft carrier")	Template:Dts
Turkey		Template:Cvt	Template:Cvt		Conventional	STOVL	Landing helicopter dock	10 April 2023
US		257.3	045000 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter assault	Template:Dts
US		257.3	045000 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter assault	Template:Dts
US		257	040532 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		257	040650 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		257	040500 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		257	040722 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		257	040358 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		257	040530 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts
US		258	041649 Template:Cvt		Conventional	VTOL	Landing helicopter dock	Template:Dts

Retired helicopter carriers

• Template:Flagicon (Royal Navy) – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1962 to 1973
• Template:Flagicon (Italian Navy) – an helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1992
• Template:Flagicon (United States Navy) – landing helicopter dock, active 1998–2020
• Template:Flagicon (Royal Navy) – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1960 to 1981
• Template:Flagicon (Italian Navy) - an Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1989
• Template:Flagicon (US Coast Guard), decommissioned in 1946 – world's first helicopter carrier.
• Template:Flagicon (Royal Navy) – an light aircraft carrier, which operated as a helicopter carrier when HMS Ocean was being refitted.
• Template:Flagicon (United States Navy) – lead of the seven-ship , active from the early 1960s to the early 2000s
• Template:Flagicon (French Navy), decommissioned in 2010
• Template:Flagicon (Soviet Navy) – second of the two-ship - active 1969–1991
• Template:Flagicon (Soviet Navy) – lead of the two-ship Moskva class, active 1967–1991
• Template:Flagicon ex- (Royal Navy) – helicopter carrier 1998–2018, decommissioned March 2018.
  • Sold to Brazil in February 2018, renamed Atlântico
• Template:Flagicon (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