Carrier-based

Carrier-based aircraft are designed for many purposes including aerial combat, surface attack, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), carrier onboard delivery (COD), weather observation, reconnaissance and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C). Such aircraft must be able to take off from the short distance and must be available on the carrier's flight deck and be sturdy enough to withstand the abrupt forces exerted by on a pitching deck due to sea waves. Some modern carrier aircraft are designed for catapult-assisted takeoffs and thus also need to be constructed more robust airframes and landing gears that can handle sudden forward accelerations. Arrestor hook is mandatory feature for those designed for CATOBAR or STOBARlanding, while thrust vectoring or tiltrotornacelles are commonly seen in those capable of V/STOL operations. In addition, their wings are generally larger (thus can generate more lift) than the land-launched counterparts, and are typically able to fold up or swing back for taxiing, pushback and parking in tight quarters.