largest aircraft carriers. The largest aircraft carrier in the world

In this review, I would like to talk about one of the mandatory attributes of military superpowers - aircraft carriers. To have one in your arsenal is a high-status, albeit not cheap, task.

Currently, there are only 10 countries that have aircraft carriers in their navies. In total, there are 22 active aircraft carriers (21, except for the unused American Enterprise and Vikramaditya, which has not yet been transferred to India).

The undisputed first place in the number of aircraft carriers is occupied by the United States. This country boasts 11 ships in service.

Second place with 2 aircraft carriers in service each is shared by Italy and Spain.

The third place is occupied by a group of countries that currently have 1 aircraft carrier at their disposal. These are Russia, China, Brazil, France, Thailand, India (will join the second group with 2 aircraft carriers in the near future) and the UK.

Considering the relatively small number of operating aircraft carriers, here is a list of them, in order of commissioning:

1. Enterprise, USA (not used since December 2012, due to be decommissioned in March 2013)
2. Nimitz, USA
3. , USA
4. Carl Vinson, USA
5. Illustrations, UK
6. Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy
7. Theodore Roosevelt, USA
8. Viraat, India
9. Prince of Asturias, Spain
10. Abraham Lincoln, USA
11. Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia
12. George Washington, USA
13. John Stennis, USA
14. Harry Truman, USA
15. Chakri Narubet, Thailand
16. Sao Paulo, Brazil
17. Charles de Gaulle, France
18. Ronald Reagan, USA
19. Count Cavour, Italy
20. George Bush, USA
21. Juan Carlos, Spain
22. Liaoning, China
23. Vikramaditya, India (not completed yet)

We begin our series of publications with the US Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the oldest aircraft carrier in operation.

US Navy aircraft carrier Nimitz

Aircraft carrier Nimitz(USS Nimitz (CVN-68)) was laid down back in 1968, launched in 1972 and commissioned in 1975. Named in honor of Chester William Nimitz - Admiral of the Fleet, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II, the man who signed the act of surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 on behalf of the United States.

"Nimitz" participated in operations "Eagle's Claw", "Desert Storm" and in the war in Iraq. Provided security for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers were the largest warships produced in the 20th century.

Name: USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Nickname: Old Salt (experienced sailor, "sea wolf")

Classification: Nimitz-class supercarrier

Manufacturer: Newport News Shipbuilding

Lifetime: until 2025 (50 years)

Approximate cost:$4.5 billion on commissioning in 1975 prices (approximately $8.3 billion in 2007 prices)

Annual operating cost:$160 million

Home port: Naval Station Everett, 47° 59′ 33.54″ N, 122° 13′ 5.79″ W

ship's motto: Teamwork, a Tradition ( teamwork- tradition)

TTX aircraft carrier Nimitz

Displacement: 98425 standard

Length: 317 m waterline
332.8 m maximum

Width: 40.8 m waterline
76.8 m longest

Draft: 11.3 m normal
12.5 m limit

Booking: secret information (thanks to those who find it!)

Engines: 2 nuclear reactor Westinghouse A4W
4 steam turbines, 4 propellers,

Power: 260,000 hp

FROMcrust: up to 31.5 knots (58.3 km/h)

cruising range: not limited

Autonomy of work: 20-25 years old

Crew: Team: 3200 people
Air wing: 2480 people

Armament

Aircraft carrier strike group Nimitz

The aircraft carrier Nimitz is part of the 11th strike aircraft carrier group (Carrier Strike Group Eleven, CSG-11), on board is the 11th air wing (Carrier Air Wing Eleven, CVW-11). Nimitz is the flagship of the battle group and the headquarters of the commander of the 23rd destroyer squadron (Destroyer Squadron 23).

Ships of the destroyer squadron DESRON-23

• USS Curts (FFG 38)
• USS Vandegrift (FFG 48)
• USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53)
• USS Pinckney (DDG 91)
• USS Sampson (DDG 102)
• USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110)
• USS Spruance (DDG-111)

CVW-11 air wing squadrons

• 154th Strike Fighter Squadron 154 (VFA-154) Black Knights, F/A-18F Super Hornets
• Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) Death Rattlers, F/A-18C Hornets
• 146th Strike Fighter Squadron 146 (VFA-146) Blue Diamonds, F/A-18C Hornets
• 146th Strike Fighter Squadron 147 (VFA-147) Argonauts, F/A-18E Super Hornets
• 142nd EW Squadron (Electronic Attack Squadron 142, VAQ-142) "Grey Wolves", EA-6B Prowlers
• 117th AWACS Squadron (Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 117, VAW-117) "Wallbangers" (Wallbangers), E-2C Hawkeyes
• 6th Marine Combat Helicopter Squadron (Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6, HSC-6) "Screamin" Indians, MH-60S
• 75th Marine Strike Helicopter Squadron (Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 75, HSM-75) "Wolf Pack" (Wolf Pack), MH-60R
• 3rd Branch of the 30th Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30 Detachment 3, VRC-30 "Suppliers" (Providers), C-2A Greyhounds

The current events

November 12, 2012 The aircraft carrier Nimitz, the 11th Carrier Strike Group (CSG-11) and the 11th Air Wing (CVW-11) have successfully completed joint exercises (Joint Task Force Exercise, JTFEX), according to a foreign source. These exercises were intended to test the group's ability to operate in a hostile and challenging environment with other US and coalition forces.

An integrated exercise brings together separate war zones to prepare for the upcoming deployment of a strike force.

"Nimitz, CSG-11 and CVW-11 have demonstrated tremendous resilience and competence in training missions as an integrated force in the JTFEX exercise," said Rear Admiral Pete Gumataotao, Commander of the 11th Carrier Strike Group. "Following the integrated exercise, I am confident that we are now fully operational and ready for combat in order to quickly respond to any naval operation."

More than 8,000 sailors have worked together to improve their operational skills in preparation for the upcoming deployment. At the conclusion of the exercise, US 3rd Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Gerald Beaman confirmed the readiness of the 11th Carrier Strike Group to carry out "critical combat operations" and to deploy. According to him, the CSG-11 is capable of supporting any naval strategic mission of the US Navy even before its deployment.

"I am extremely proud of the performance of the 11th Battle Group during the past two months of integrated and joint exercises," said Rear Admiral Guamataotao. "We are ready to support US Navy missions anywhere, anytime."

The US 3rd Fleet leads maritime forces in the Eastern Pacific off the West Coast of North America and is responsible for conducting realistic and meaningful exercises essential to the global effectiveness of the US Navy.

November 23, 2012 another foreign source said that technical problems had been identified on the Nimitz aircraft carrier that would keep her offshore for at least two months.

In addition to scrutinizing the aging US Navy, Nimitz's problem with power plant only one aircraft carrier will remain in the Persian Gulf for the first time since December 2010.

With an estimated lifespan of 50 years, Nimitz is more than 10 years away from their eventual retirement. This lifetime is expected subject to regular maintenance and overhauls such as those performed at the Nimitz in Bremerton, Washington in 2011.

The aircraft carrier spent more than a year in port on maintenance and returned to service in March 2012, and the extent of the propulsion failure after such an extensive overhaul is still subject to confirmation by the US Navy.

Meanwhile, another Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower CVN-69, will be weakened and cover Nimitz's rotation in the Persian Gulf. She is already in that part of the world with the US 5th Fleet in Bahrain, but will be returned to her home port in Norfolk to have her runway deck resurfaced before her return course.

The replacement schedule is part of the life of the US Navy, crew members and their families do their best to keep this in mind as they go with the flow. But it is also a violation of the life schedule of each participant in these events, the source said.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier device

May 25, 2005: aircraft carrier USS Nimitz CVN-68 leads a group of US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships in the Pacific

September 6, 2003: USS Nimitz CVN-68 in the Indian Ocean supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom

USS Nimitz CVN-68 in drydock

2010:USS Nimitz CVN-68 at Naval Base Coronado/San Diego, CA32° 41′ 57″ N, 117° 12′ 55″ W . Beside -USS Ronald Reagan CVN-76

November 5, 2012: Aircraft carrier crew leisureUSS Nimitz CVN-68 Pie in the Face competition. Impressions of the participants of the competition (officers):

"I was sent (to competitions) from my department to take care of him and represent him with dignity... We had a good time. I was able to relax and be out for a bit working environment, change it. "

"This event was a moral booster, giving sailors the opportunity to have fun with members of their work centers by smearing whipped cream on their faces ... This good way relieve stress from sea trips and is not a form of ridicule. It's pure entertainment."

Modern shipbuilding is constantly developing in different directions. One of the main ones is the creation of powerful, fast and maneuverable warships that will be equipped with the latest generation of weapons. The size of aircraft carriers and cruisers is amazing. The largest of them are the property of the country's army, and some have even become a relic of history.

At the end of the article, we have prepared a surprise 🎁 - an exciting test to test your attentiveness 😃

The United States planned to build five of these ships, but due to high costs ($450 million each), the large-scale project had to be abandoned. In 1961, only one strike aircraft carrier with a nuclear power plant was produced in its class.

Crew - 3325 people. Thanks to nuclear fuel, the ship has the ability to serve without refueling for 13 years and sail up to one million miles during this time. This “monster” is driven by a power plant in eight A2W type reactors, with four turbines. With a scale of 342 meters in length and 78.5 in width, weapons with a total mass of more than 2,500 tons are placed on board. The stock of aviation fuel of 10 million liters ensures intensive aircraft flights for 12 days.

Along the perimeter, the hull has a double bottom with compartments separated by transverse bulkheads. Flights are carried out on a deck area of ​​18.211 m2, which is equipped with four take-off steam catapults. Thanks to them, every 15-20 seconds aircrafts can instantly rise into the air. To stop aircraft, an arrester is provided in the form of stretched cables, but if for some reason it did not work, then a special rising emergency net at the end of the site is capable of stopping the aircraft.

The number of aircraft on board is up to 90 units with a staff of 1800 people. During his service in the US Navy, the Enterprise participated in more than a dozen operations, including military operations in Cuba, Vietnam, Iraq and during the Caribbean crisis.

In the early 90s, the ship was modernized in accordance with modern requirements. In 2002, the power plant and hull plating were repaired.

Aircraft carrier - the development of the United States. Construction began in 1968. The ship turned out to be large (length 333 meters, maximum width 78), reliable and most importantly, not as expensive as its predecessor, the Enterprise. The cost of manufacturing different sources, came out to about several hundred million dollars. Therefore, it was decided to put the project on stream and release a total of ten such aircraft carriers. Each was given an individual number and name: No. 68 Nimitz 1968, No. 69 Eisenhower 1970, No. 70 Vinson 1975, No. 71 Roosevelt 1981, No. 72 Lincoln 1984, No. 77 Bush 2003 and others.

Nimitz is not only a big, but also a heavy ship. One ammunition is on board 1954 tons. The power plant is nuclear - two A4W nuclear reactors (total capacity of 260 thousand horsepower) and four diesel engines for 10,720 liters. With. Thus, an aircraft carrier can easily reach speeds of up to 30 knots, and stay at sea for ten years without refueling. To protect against enemy projectiles, the body is sewn up with 64 mm special Kevlar fabric.

The site for the air group is divided into several zones: the runway and runway, parking. Accordingly, each of them is equipped with special equipment. Thus, four steam catapults were installed on the runway to launch aircraft.

To protect the ship's hull from aviation jet exhaust, a barrier is provided, ventilated by supplying cold water directly from the board. Special rope brakes are installed on the runway and, most importantly, there are electronic device, which helps to land the aircraft on board in conditions of poor visibility without the participation of the pilot. The automatic landing system is called ACLS. 86 military aircraft are placed in the parking zone at the same time.

In case you need to repel an attack on an aircraft carrier or strike directly from standard guns, powerful weapons are located on board. These are four Vulcan Phalanx 20 mm anti-aircraft artillery systems and three Sea Sparow rocket launchers. In the process of modernization, a three-tube 324-mm torpedo tube was placed on Nimitz.

The crew of 3200 people, the composition of the air group - 2480, manages the ship, and also maintains it in combat condition. Cabins, a dining room, and a freezer room for long-term storage of food are equipped in the hold for the life of people.

Shark

The largest military submarines are in service with Russia. These are nuclear-powered vessels of project No. 941 "Shark". Since it was planned to equip the new vessel with long-range solid-propellant R-39 three-stage missiles, which are of impressive size, the dimensions of the submarine should also correspond. The developers were LPMB "Rubin" Leningrad. After several years of construction, the commissioning took place in 1980.

A shark was depicted in front of the side, which personified power and maneuverability. Later, she became a symbol of the ship's crew and appeared on chevrons. Of the planned 12 submarines, half were made.

Interesting!

In order to reload ammunition on the Akula submarine, it was necessary to build a special electro-diesel transport vessel Alexander Brykin with a displacement of 16,000 tons.

The aircraft carrier made in the USSR has interesting story the buildings. Initially, in 1979, the engineering bureau prepared sketches for the construction of the cruiser, they were approved by S. Gorshkov (commander at that time navy), but subsequently a decision was made to radically change the project. Thus, due to all the delays in the design, the ship was launched only in 1987.

The maximum displacement is 61,390 tons, length 306 m, width 72 m, height 64.5 m. Like most warships that have been serving and taking part in combat operations for years, the hull must be additionally protected. So, on the "Admiral Kuznetsov" armor made of high-strength steel was installed, with a three-layer anti-torpedo protection of 4.5 m, which is able to withstand a direct hit of a four hundred kilogram TNT projectile.

The powerful ship was equipped with the Beysur navigation system, the Mars Passat, Frigate MA, Podkat, Vaygach and Rezistor radar systems. For communication, a CICS "Lesorub", "Buran 2", SJSC "Polynom", SJSC "Zvezda M1" and the electronic warfare complex "Sozvezdie" were installed. As you can see, the ship is stuffed to the teeth with electronics, but as for weapons, it’s still more serious here. On board are anti-aircraft artillery for 48 thousand shells, an anti-submarine combat installation for 60 bombs. Missiles "Granite" 256 pcs., "Dagger" 192 pcs. Since the ship is an aircraft carrier, 50 aircraft and helicopters can be on it at the same time.

This military "monster" is set in motion by a power plant consisting of four steam turbines with a total capacity of 200,000 horsepower and nine turbogenerators of 1,500 kW each. Wherein top speed the vessel develops up to 54 km / h, and the autonomy of navigation is 45 days.

During his service in the Navy, the aircraft carrier made six voyages in the Mediterranean Sea, and once visited the North Atlantic. In 2000, he was involved in the rescue operation of the Kursk submarine. In 2016, I had to take part in hostilities against the military terrorist groups "Islamic State" and "Dzhebhat al-Nusra" in the lands of Syria. During the trip, 420 sorties of combat aircraft were made from the ship, while 1252 terrorist targets were hit.

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Battleship Missouri

Modern armed forces must be mobile - months-long campaigns on war elephants and half-year military galley expeditions are a thing of the past. Now, when the bill goes not even for days, but for hours, there is nothing more effective for armies than aircraft carriers. And the only thing better than an aircraft carrier is a large, very large aircraft carrier. In this material, "RG" will talk about ships that cause envy even among blue whales.

"Shinano"

The Japanese giant can hardly be attributed to the modern one, because in 1944 he sank safely during his first assignment. But what you should not doubt is its colossal, especially for that time, size. Its length was 266 meters, and its displacement was 68,060 tons. In order for you to realize the size of this hulk, imagine the Titanic. So this legendary liner was only three meters longer than the Sinano, and in terms of displacement it lost 10 thousand tons.

Initially, the Japanese was supposed to be the fourth in a series of Yamato-class battleships, but the designers' plans were redrawn by the Battle of Midway, where the Imperial Japanese Navy lost four brand new aircraft carriers and a whole group of smaller ships. The half-finished "Sinano" was decided to be converted as soon as possible into a vessel capable of carrying aircraft.

Haste made itself felt during the first and last battle of the giant. In November 1944, she was torpedoed by an American submarine. The watertight bulkheads had been installed incorrectly and were leaking, and the crew was inexperienced.

"Sinano" sank 7 hours after the attack and 17 hours after leaving the port.

"Varyag" or "Liaoning"

A giant with a very interesting and slightly sad fate was laid down at a shipyard in Nikolaev in 1985, and launched already in 1988. Most of the technical devices on the ship were absent, and the overall readiness of the combat ship could be estimated no higher than 60 percent. After the collapse of the USSR, it went to Ukraine, which until 1998 invested in it exactly as much money as was necessary to keep it afloat, no more.

In 1998, a giant with a length of 304.5 meters and a displacement of 59,500 tons was sold by official Kyiv for a ridiculous amount of $ 20 million. The buyer was a private Chinese firm that announced its intention to turn the unfinished aircraft carrier into an amusement park and casino. But if there were such plans, then they were abandoned almost immediately: 20 million for the crown of the creation of Soviet designers is an insignificant price, so the PRC government nationalized the ship and completed it. Thus, by 2011, the People's Republic of China entered the pool of countries that have aircraft carriers in service.

"Admiral Kuznetsov"

The largest and most powerful aircraft carrier cruiser Europe and Asia began to be built in the same Nikolaev in 1982. Named after Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, Admiral of the Soviet Union.

In all its characteristics, the aircraft carrier was advanced: the deck was lengthened to allow the takeoff and landing of the Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29, and the hull was being built in a unique way from blocks weighing up to 1400 tons. Aerofinishers, the optical landing system "Luna" and the side lifts of the aircraft first appeared on it. The length of the "Admiral" is more than three football fields, it is like the Eiffel Tower without a spire - 306 meters. At the same time, a whole small air army can be on such a colossus - 25 aircraft and 25 helicopters.

Unlike most standard aircraft carriers, the armament of the Admiral Kuznetsov is far from modest: 12 launchers 4K80 SCRC "Granit", 8 launchers "Kortik" with an arsenal of 256 missiles, 6 six-barreled 30-mm artillery mounts AK-630M for 48 thousand shells and 4 six-barrel launchers of the Kinzhal air defense system. Radar is also on top - the Beysur complex, Buran-2 and the Rezistor flight control radar station, and the Kuznetsov crew is almost 2000 sailors and officers. "Kuznetsov" is a real beauty and pride of Russia.

By 2015, the ship will replace all carrier-based Su-33 fighters with multifunctional MiG-29K. Until 2017, the ship will undergo a major overhaul.

"Nimitz"

This American Gulliver is named after Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the US Pacific Fleet during World War II. The aircraft carrier "Nimitz" was laid down back in 1968 and became one of the first ships of this type with a nuclear power plant. Participated in the infamous failed special operation "Eagle's Claw" in 1980. In May 1981, an incident occurred on board: a landing Prowler fighter crashed, killing 14 people, and about 50 were injured.

The aircraft carrier has gigantic dimensions - 332 meters in length and a displacement of almost 100,000 tons. But these figures did not bring him success in 2008, when two Russian Tu-95MS teased the "floating fortress" as part of a training flight. One of them flew at an altitude of only 600 meters above the Nimitz, and even the F / A-18 fighters raised up in alarm did not embarrass our pilots.

"Enterprise"

More than half a century ago, in 1960, the CVN-65 Enterprise was launched, which still remains the longest warship of all time - 342 meters! Also, "Big E" became the world's first nuclear aircraft carrier, and the crew of this big man was a little less than 5,000 people. In total, it was planned to create 6 such ships, but the release of the first Enterprise, which cost $ 451 million, shook the US economy, so the rest of the ships in the project were abandoned.

The aircraft carrier has always been positioned as the pinnacle of the country's naval development and took part in all conflicts and wars of the Stars and Stripes. From Caribbean Crisis to Vietnam War, from the confrontation between North and South Korea to Yugoslavia and Iraq. Unpleasant incidents did not bypass him either, on January 14, 1969, due to the negligence of the crew, a rocket spontaneously exploded on one of the Phantom aircraft. The ensuing fire destroyed 15 more fighters, killing 27 people and injuring 349. In total, more than 100,000 people served on the aircraft carrier in 52 years.

The ship was decommissioned in 2012 and will be scrapped by 2015, despite numerous protests from former sailors who urged the government to turn the legendary ship into a floating museum.

Americans - absolute leaders on aircraft carriers, but other powers also have something to brag about. For example, the cunning Chinese recently announced the laying of their own floating airfield. In honor of this event, M PORT has compiled a rating of aircraft carriers in service with different countries.

ADMIRAL KUZNETSOV (Russia)

Main advantage admiral- his speed. He does 35 mph with ease, so don't get in his way! It is lighter than any US aircraft carrier, but the formidable Su planes on board seem to hint that comrade Kuznetsov is not to be trifled with.

• Entered combat duty - 1991
• Displacement - 55,200 tons
• Length - 305 meters
• Autonomy - 45 days
• Crew - 1609 people
• Aviation - 12 helicopters (Ka-27), 33 aircraft (Su-33 and Su-25)

INCREDIBLE (Invincible, UK)

Until 2005 - a class of light British aircraft carriers, which proved to be excellent during the war with Argentina over the Falklands in 1982. In the 90s Indomitable supported the raids on Iraq. Since 2005, it has been replaced by Queen Elizabeth-class ships, more sophisticated but less legendary.

• Entered combat duty - 1980
• Displacement - 20 600 tons
• Length - 209 meters
• Endurance - 7000 miles
• Crew - 875 people
• Aviation - 22 aircraft and helicopters

CHARLES DE GAULLE (France)

The only aircraft carrier in France, but very serious, since nuclear. The journey can take a very long time. Carries 40 aircraft, which is a powerful strike force. In '93 on board de Gaulle an emergency happened: employees of the British Mi-6 entered the aircraft carrier under the guise of an inspection. Cunning spies managed to inspect the ship, but they were quickly captured.

• Entered combat duty - 1994
• Displacement - 42,000 tons
• Length - 261 meters
• Autonomy - 45 days
• Crew - 1900 people
• Aviation - up to 40 planes and helicopters

PRINCE OF ASTURIAN (Spain)

This aircraft carrier is so long that you can safely arrange a bullfight on its deck - 196 meters in length allow this. The pride of the Spanish fleet, and what else to do - there are no others!

• Entered combat duty - 1989
• Displacement - 16,700 tons
• Length - 196 meters
• Crew - 763 people
• Aviation - 14 helicopters, 8 aircraft (Harrier-2)

GEORGE BUSH (USS George H.W. Bush, USA).

Nimitz-class heavy nuclear aircraft carrier. There is no doubt that this toy is the best in the world. And besides, the newest: the ship was launched in 2006. For comparison, the above aircraft carriers were built in the last century.

• Entered combat duty - 2009
• Displacement - 97,000 tons
• Length - 332 meters
• Crew - 5680 people
• Aviation - 90 planes and helicopters

For reference: who shot down the first Nimitz?

The US military claims that aircraft carriers like Nimitz are completely invulnerable. However, Russian aviation has proven that this is far from being the case. The incident occurred during a US-Japanese exercise: Russian aircraft imperceptibly flew up to the aircraft carrier of the US Navy kitty hawk and photographed him in all poses. The Americans did not even have time to raise carrier-based aircraft or at least fire a rocket after them. In military language, this means "conditional destruction of an aircraft carrier."

A person is ready to protect his peace by any means. The expanses of the ocean, for example, store aggregates of incredible size, designed to serve for the benefit of peace and tranquility. Most large aircraft carriers will be discussed below.

1 place

Enterprise. The incredible size of the aircraft carrier, worth 451 million dollars. Equipped with a nuclear installation, it is 342 meters long. The project involved the release of five more such structures, however, the cost of building the Enterprise showed that such plans would cost the US military too much. First launched in 1961. The total displacement of the ship is 93,400 tons.

2nd place

Nimitz. Another brainchild of America, launched in 1975. According to the Nimitz project, a dozen more ships were built, the last of which was put into operation in 2009. The cost of this type of aircraft carrier turned out to be less than the Enterprise, so serial production was launched. The length of the unit is 333 meters. Full displacement - 106 thousand tons.

3rd place

Lincoln . The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, launched in 1988, is the fifth ship in the project. Known for being used during the fighting in Iraq, and has also been featured in several films. The length of the ship is 332.8 m, the displacement of the ship is 97 thousand tons. The aviation group of the ship is 90 aircraft and helicopters.

4th place

kitty hawk . Once again, the US leads the list of manufacturers the most powerful aircraft carriers peace. Kitty Hawk reaches a length of 327 meters, equipped with modern systems electronics and hydrolocation. The ship does not have atomic artillery like its followers. Launched in 1955. The displacement of the ship is 93 thousand tons.

5th place

Forrestal . Named after the first US Department of Defense, Forrestal was also the first project after World War II. All the experience gained as a result of combat operations was collected by the best military engineers and embodied in this aircraft carrier. Its length is 325 meters, displacement - 81 thousand tons. Used since 1955. One of the notable cases associated with this aircraft carrier is a fire that occurred in 1967. The official version says that the fire was the result of an independent launch of a rocket under the influence of a power surge.

6th place

John Kennedy . Aircraft carrier 320 meters long and again made in the USA. The fourth follower of Kitty Hawk, named after the 35th President of America. Initially, it was planned to equip it with a nuclear installation, but later the project was revised, deciding in favor of gas turbine generators. Operated since 1968. The ship's displacement is 82 thousand tons.

7th place

midway . The pioneer of heavy American aircraft carriers, 306 meters long. The ship has rich history, as it was actively used during the bombing of Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm. Today it has already been withdrawn from the fleet, but continues to function in a different way - as a museum ship.

8th place

Admiral Kuznetsov . Built in the USSR, a native of the Black Sea Shipbuilding Plant. Named in honor of the Admiral of the Fleet of the USSR, it was intended for attacks against large targets and the protection of maritime space. Fighters and helicopters are located on the aircraft carrier during campaigns. The length of the ship is 302 meters, released in 1990. Displacement - 59 thousand tons.

9th place

Lexington . The aircraft carrier, 271 meters long, is one of the historical ones in the United States. Launched in 1929, it was equipped with a superstructure and nuclear power plants, as well as an armored hull. Full displacement - 47,700 tons.

10th place

Shinano . The representative of Japan is largest aircraft carriers world, has a length of 266 m. Launched in 1944. It is noteworthy that by the beginning of the war, the ship was only half ready and was built according to the design of the battleship. However, after the defeat of the Japanese army at Midway, it was decided to rebuild the ship into an aircraft carrier. The thickness of the armor of the newly made aircraft carrier was 178 mm, equipped with jet fuel storage tanks with a volume of 718 tons. The total displacement of the ship is 71,890 tons.