Aviation-capable naval vessel

Many present-day naval vessels, aside from aircraft carriers and full-length deck amphibious assault ships, are capable of carrying aircraft. A majority of United States Navy ships have at least a helipad, capable of landing medium-sized helicopters. Many others have decks and even hangars incorporated into the structure of the ship. It has become a standard part of modern ship design to have a deck that supports multiple, medium or large helicopters, as well as being able to house them in a hangar, for protection and maintenance. Aside from carriers and full-length deck amphibious assault ships, the US Navy has 12 classes of commissioned surface warships, 10 of which are aviation-capable. Two of those classes, patrol ships and mine counter-measure ships, are due to be replaced by the littoral combat ship, at which point the entire US Naval surface war fleet will be aviation-capable.^[1]

US Navy ships[edit]

As of 2016, the current types and classes of US Navy ships, along with their capabilities are as follows:

Type	Hull code	Class	Aircraft carried
Amphibious Command Ship	(LCC)	Blue Ridge	2 × Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters
Amphibious transport dock	(LPD) (AFSB(I))	San Antonio Austin	up to 4 or 6 × CH-46 Sea Knight or up to 5 × MV-22 Osprey Tilt-rotors. (also fixed-wing aircraft, such as the AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL jet, in an emergency - see USS Green Bay AV-8B Harrier testing)
Cruiser	(CG)	Ticonderoga	2 × Sikorsky SH-60B or MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters.
Destroyer	(DDG)	Arleigh Burke	up to 2 × MH-60R LAMPS III helicopters
Dock landing ship	(LSD)	Harpers Ferry Whidbey Island	2 × CH-53E Super Stallion or 3 × CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters
Littoral combat ship	(LCS)	Freedom Independence	2 × MH-60R/S Seahawk and 1 × MQ-8 Fire Scout
Submarine tender	(AS)	Emory S. Land	none (equipped with platform for medium helicopter)

Along with these types and classes, many of the US navy's non-commissioned ships, specifically those of the Military Sealift Command, are aviation-capable as well. The United States Coast Guard also has cutters that are aviation-capable. Also, with the growing technology in UAVs and UCAVs, virtually every ship afloat has, or will soon have, some type of aviation capability.

Other vessels[edit]

The following are examples of other types aviation-capable vessels from other navies around the world:

Type	National Navy	Class	Aircraft carried
Amphibious transport dock	Chilean Navy	Foudre	4 × helicopters
Command ship	Royal Danish Navy	Absalon	2 × EH-101 helicopters
Corvette	Israeli Navy	Sa'ar 5	1 × helicopter
Cruiser	Russian Navy	Slava	1 × Kamov Ka-25 or Kamov Ka-27 helicopter
Destroyer	People's Liberation Army Navy (China)	Type 052B or Guangzhou	1 × Kamov Ka-27 helicopter
Dock landing ship	Royal Australian Navy	Bay	none (can accommodate Chinook-sized helicopters and Osprey-sized tilt-rotors on its deck)
Frigate	Royal Navy (UK)	Type 23 or Duke	1 × Lynx HMA8 or 1 × Westland Merlin HM1
Landing platform dock	Spanish Navy	Galicia	4 × SH-3 Sea King or 6 × NH-90 helicopters
Landing Ship, Tank	Hellenic Navy (Greece)	Jason	none (equipped with platform for medium helicopter)
Helicopter destroyer	Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force	Hyūga	3 × SH-60K, 1 × MCH-101

Other types[edit]

References[edit]

^ Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 18. ISBN 9780850451634.

External links[edit]

[1] Wragg, David W. (1973). A Dictionary of Aviation (first ed.). Osprey. p. 18. ISBN 9780850451634.

[1]

v t e Naval ships and warships in the late modern period
Naval ship classes in service submarine auxiliary Operational zones Brown-water navy Green-water navy Blue-water navy Gun placement Broadside Central battery Casemate Turrets
Aircraft carriers	Aircraft cruiser Amphibious assault ship Anti-submarine warfare carrier Balloon carrier Battlecarrier CAM ship Escort carrier Fighter catapult ship Fleet carrier Flight deck cruiser Helicopter carrier Interdiction Assault Ship Light aircraft carrier Merchant aircraft carrier Seaplane tender Submarine aircraft carrier Supercarrier
Battleships	Coastal defence ship Dreadnought Fast battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship Super-dreadnought (Standard-type battleship) Treaty battleship
Cruisers	Armored cruiser Battlecruiser Guided missile cruiser Heavy cruiser Pocket battleship Light cruiser Merchant raider Protected cruiser Scout cruiser Strike cruiser Torpedo cruiser Unprotected cruiser
Escort	Aviso Convoy rescue ship Destroyer Destroyer escort Destroyer leader Escort destroyer Escorteur Frigate Guided-missile destroyer Kaibōkan Radar picket Sloop
Transport	Amphibious transport dock Amphibious warfare ship Attack transport Dock landing ship Landing craft Landing craft carrier Landing Craft Support Landing Ship Heavy Landing ship, infantry Landing Ship Logistics Landing Ship Medium Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship Vehicle Troopship
Patrol craft	Armed boarding steamer Armed yacht Coastal motor boat Corvette Gunboat Harbour defence motor launch Motor Launch Naval drifter Naval trawler Ocean boarding vessel Patrol boat Q-ship Steam gun boat Submarine chaser Torpedo boat
Fast attack craft	E-boat MAS MGB Missile boat MTB MTM MTSM PT boat Shin'yō
Mine warfare	Danlayer Destroyer minesweeper Mine countermeasures vessel Mine planter Minehunter Minelayer Minesweeper
Command and support	Amenities ship Ammunition ship Auxiliary repair dock Auxiliary ship Collier Combat stores ship Command ship Crane vessel Depot ship Destroyer tender Dispatch boat Fast combat support ship General stores issue ship Hospital ship Joint support ship Naval tugboat Net laying ship Repair ship Replenishment oiler Submarine tender
Submarines	Attack submarine Ballistic missile submarine Coastal submarine Cruise missile submarine Cruiser submarine Deep-submergence vehicle DSRV Fleet submarine Human torpedo Midget submarine U-boat Wet sub
Miscellaneous	Armed merchantman Arsenal ship Barracks ship Breastwork monitor Capital ship Flagship Floating battery Guard ship Littoral combat ship Monitor Mother ship River monitor Training ship
Related	Ship types Sailing vessels

US Navy ships[edit]

Other vessels[edit]

Other types[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]