![An F-A-18C Hornet launches from the flight deck of the conventionally powered aircraft carrier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/An_F-A-18C_Hornet_launches_from_the_flight_deck_of_the_conventionally_powered_aircraft_carrier.jpg)
Carrier-based aircraft, sometimes known as carrier-capable aircraft or carrier-borne aircraft, are
naval aircraft
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-base ...
designed for operations from
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
s. They must be able to launch in a short distance and be sturdy enough to withstand the abrupt forces of launching from and recovering on a pitching deck. In addition, their wings are generally able to fold up, easing operations in tight quarters.
Such aircraft are designed for many purposes including
air-to-air combat
Air combat manoeuvring (also known as ACM or dogfighting) is the tactical art of moving, turning and/or situating one's fighter aircraft in order to attain a position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft. Air combat manoeuvres ...
,
surface attack,
anti-submarine warfare (ASW),
search and rescue (SAR),
transport (COD),
weather observation
Weather reconnaissance is the acquisition of weather data used for research and planning. Typically the term reconnaissance refers to observing weather from the air, as opposed to the ground.
Methods
Aircraft
Helicopters are not built to w ...
,
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
and
airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) duties.
[Fred T Jane (2005). ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft''. Jane's Information Group.]
The term is generally applied only to
fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...
, as
naval helicopters are able to operate from a wider variety of
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
s, including
helicopter carrier
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters, and 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 ...
s,
destroyers,
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s and container ships.
History
![The Royal Navy during the Second World War A19715 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/The_Royal_Navy_during_the_Second_World_War_A19715_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The 1903 advent of fixed-wing aircraft was followed in 1910 by the first flight of an aircraft from the
deck of an anchored warship (the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
's ), and in 1912, by the first flight of an aircraft from the deck of a warship underway (the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's ).
Seaplane
A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...
s and
seaplane tender support ships, such as , followed. This evolution was well underway by the early 1920s, resulting in ships such as (1918), (1922), (1922), and (1927). With these developments, the need for specialized aircraft adapted for take-offs and landings from the
flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopte ...
s of those ships became recognized.
The significance of
air power grew between the wars, driven by the increased range, carrying power, and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft, until it became impossible to disregard its importance during World War II, following the loss of many warships to aircraft, including the
sinking of ''Prince of Wales'' and ''Repulse'', the
Battle of Taranto
The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11–12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni. The Royal Navy launched ...
, the
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
and numerous other incidents. Following the war, carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance.
Types
Modern carrier-based aircraft are built in mainly three different versions to suit the needs of its various users.
The following terms are those used currently by the U.S. Navy.
Catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery
CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
. Under this technique, aircraft are launched using a
catapult-assisted take-off and landing on the ship using
arresting wires. Although this system is more costly than alternative methods, it provides greater flexibility in carrier operations, since it allows the aircraft to operate with higher payloads. Ships with CATOBAR currently include the U.S. ,
the U.S.
''Gerald R. Ford''-class, and France's .
![Carrier Sea Training MOD (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Carrier_Sea_Training_MOD_%28cropped%29.jpg)
The use of
catapults
A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of store ...
allows an aircraft carrier to launch large fixed-wing aircraft. For example, the U.S. Navy launches its
E-2 Hawkeye AEW AEW or aew may refer to:
* Airborne early warning, airborne radar system for detecting aircraft
* Aerosvit Airlines, an airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine (ICAO airline designator: AEW)
* AEW Capital Management, a property investment management company
...
aircraft and
C-2A Greyhound
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
cargo aircraft with catapults.
Short take-off and vertical landing
STOVL
A short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL aircraft) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is able to take off from a short runway (or take off vertically if it does not have a heavy payload) and land vertically (i.e. with no runway). The ...
take-offs are accomplished with "
ski-jumps", instead of a catapult. STOVL use usually allows aircraft to carry a larger payload as compared to during
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft is one that can take off and land vertically without relying on a runway. This classification can include a variety of types of aircraft including helicopters as well as thrust-vectoring fixed-wi ...
use, while avoiding the complexity of a catapult. The best known example is the
Hawker Siddeley Harrier
The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is a British military aircraft. It was the first of the Harrier series of aircraft and was developed in the 1960s as the first operational ground attack and reconnaissance aircraft with vertical/short takeoff an ...
Jump Jet, despite being capable of VTOL take-offs, is usually operated as a STOVL aircraft to increase its fuel and weapons load.
Short take-off but arrested recovery
STOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
, combining elements of both STOVL and CATOBAR. Aircraft launch under their own power using a ski-jump to assist take-off (rather than using a catapult). These are conventional aircraft however and require
arresting wires to land on the ship. The
Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier
The ''Kuznetsov''-class aircraft carrying cruiser (Russian: Авиано́сцы ти́па «Кузнецо́в» ''Avianо́stsii Tipa "Kuznetsо́v"''), Soviet designation Project 1143.5, is a class of aircraft carriers operated by the Russ ...
s of the
Russian Navy and
People's Liberation Army Navy operate the
Su-33 (Russia) and
J-15 (China) as STOBAR aircraft. Others include the Indian and ; both will operate
MiG-29Ks.
Unassisted take-off
![USN E-2C Scewtops](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/USN_E-2C_Scewtops.jpg)
Prior to World War II, the weight of most aircraft allowed them to be launched from aircraft carriers under their own power, but required assistance in stopping. Catapults were installed but were used only when the ship was stationary or adequate wind over the deck could not be arranged by sailing into the wind. Even aircraft as large as the
North American B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...
were launched in this manner. This was possible because the ship's speed with even the lightest prevailing winds, combined with a low take-off speed allowed early aircraft to gain flying speed in a very short distance. The most extreme version of this was the battleship platforms used during the 1920s when small, World War I-era
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
fighters such as the
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel is a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter aircraft that was introduced on the Western Front in 1917. It was developed by the Sopwith Aviation Company as a successor to the Sopwith Pup and became one of the ...
were launched from only a few dozen feet long mounted atop of a
battleship's forward
gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechani ...
.
Conventional aircraft, such as the
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
,
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt,
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...
, and
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
, were often delivered to overseas air bases by aircraft carrier. They would be loaded onto an aircraft carrier in port by cranes, flown off the carrier at sea near their destination under their own power, and land on a friendly airfield ashore. These were not usually combat missions but in some cases the launched aircraft provided air cover for the ship, and the aircraft could not be recovered by the carrier.
Some
STOL
A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh conditio ...
aircraft, such as the
North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forw ...
, have been operated from aircraft carriers and
amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, a ...
s in this manner more recently, but this is not common practice.
Even very large aircraft such as the
Lockheed C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally desig ...
have been successfully landed and launched from large aircraft carriers, but was done with no cargo and little fuel on board the aircraft.
Modern carrier-based aircraft in service
In service
![Rafale - RIAT 2018 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Rafale_-_RIAT_2018_%28cropped%29.jpg)
*
Boeing EA-18G Growler
The Boeing EA-18G Growler is an American carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. The EA-18G replaced the Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowlers in service with the United States Navy. The ...
*
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
The Boeing F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet are twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more ad ...
*
Dassault Rafale M
*
Grumman C-2 Greyhound
The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is carrier onboard delivery (COD). The aircraft p ...
*
Lockheed Martin F-35B/C Lightning II
*
McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a single-engine ground-attack aircraft that constitutes the second generation of the Harrier family, capable of vertical or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL). The aircraft is primari ...
*
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather, twinjet, twin-engine, supersonic aircraft, supersonic, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, ...
*
McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk
The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) T-45 Goshawk is a highly modified version of the British BAE Systems Hawk land-based training jet aircraft. Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) and British Aerospace (now BAE Systems), the T-45 is u ...
*
Mikoyan MiG-29K
The Mikoyan MiG-29K (russian: Микоян МиГ-29K; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum-D) is a Russian all-weather carrier-based multirole fighter aircraft developed by the Mikoyan Design Bureau. The MiG-29K was developed in the late 1980s from ...
*
Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye
*
Shenyang J-15
The Shenyang J-15 (wikt:歼, Chinese: 歼-15), also known as ''Flying Shark'' (; NATO reporting name: Flanker-X2, is a Chinese night fighter, all-weather, twinjet, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fourth-generation fighter, fourth-generation ...
*
Sukhoi Su-25UTG/UBP![Sukhoi Su-33 77 RED (30268117476)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Sukhoi_Su-33_77_RED_%2830268117476%29.jpg)
*
Sukhoi Su-33
The Sukhoi Su-33 (russian: Сухой Су-33; NATO reporting name: ''Flanker-D'') is an all-weather carrier-based twin-engine air superiority fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association ...
Under development
*
Boeing MQ-25 Stingray
The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is an aerial refueling drone that resulted from the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System (CBARS) program, which grew out of the earlier Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. The M ...
*
Bayraktar MIUS
Bayraktar may refer to:
* Bayraktar (surname)
*Bayraktar, Bayburt, a village in Turkey
* Bayraktar UAV, a brand of Turkish drone
** Bayraktar (song), Ukraine, 2022, about the UAV in the Russian invasion
* ''Bayraktar''-class tank landing ship, Tu ...
*
Bayraktar TB3
*
HAL TEDBF
The HAL Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is a canard delta wing, twin-engine, carrier-based, multirole combat aircraft currently under development for the Indian Navy. The TEDBF is being designed and developed by the Aeronautical Develo ...
*
Shenyang FC-31 naval variant
See also
*
Escort carrier
*
Launch and recovery cycle Aircraft carrier air operations include a launch and recovery cycle of embarked aircraft. Launch and recovery cycles are scheduled to support efficient use of naval aircraft for searching, defensive patrols, and offensive airstrikes. The relative ...
*
Modern United States Navy carrier air operations
Modern United States Navy aircraft carrier air operations include the operation of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on and around an aircraft carrier for performance of combat or noncombat missions. The flight operations are highly evolved, b ...
*
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based ...
*
Carrier aircraft used during World War II
Over 700 different aircraft models were used during World War II. At least 135 of these models were developed for naval use, including about 50 fighters and 38 bombers.
Only about 25 carrier-launched aircraft models were used extensively for c ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*Chant, Chris. "Aircraft of World War II" Barnes & Noble: New York (1999)
*Collier, Basil. "Japanese Aircraft of World War II" Mayflower: New York (1979)
*
*Gunston, Bill. "Combat Aircraft of World War II" Salamander Books: London (1978)
*Munson, Kenneth. "Aircraft of World War II" Doubleday: New York
*Pawlowski, Gareth L. "Flat-Tops and Fledglings" Castle Books: New York (1971)
*
Clark G. Reynolds. ''The fast carriers: the forging of an air navy'' (1968; 1978; 1992)
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Carrier-based aircraft