History Of British Air Craft Carriers

Since 1910 Britain has been combining Air Power with Sea Power, from the first Seaplane Carriers, to the first standard flat runway Air Craft Carriers the Royal Navy has been an innovator second to none.

This list contains 37 Of Britains most successful and innovative Air Craft Carrier Designs, many have been present during world changing events, such as HMS Invincibles contribution to the Falklands, or HMS Ark Royals assault on the German Battleship Bismarck, Many of these ships (especially the Majestic & Colossus Class) have gone on to serve in the navys of other nations, including the navies of France, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Argentina and The Netherlands.

The Royal Navys ability to project sea power across the globe has always been the United Kingdoms greatest defense for both the UK and its allies, for example in 1942 when Imperial Japan attacked the USA at Pearl Harbour the Royal Navy assembled a Pacific Fleet featuring 11 Air Craft Carriers and 8 Escort Carriers in assistance.

In 2007 The UK MOD confirmed plans to construct two new Super Carriers (Queen Elizabeth Class) these will be the largest Air Craft Carriers operated by the Royal Navy and the only Super Carriers to be built outside the USA. This will assure The Royal Navys position as a world leader in naval power for atleast the next 50 years.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• The Royal Navy
• Air Craft Carrier
• Super Carrier
• Colossus Class
• Majestic Class
• Queen Elizabeth Class
• Invincible Class
• Ark Royal
• Prince Of Wales
• Illustrious Class

[Ecthaelyon]

R.I.P. HMS Ark Royal.

[TSR1989B]

@everyone For all your infomation the full name of our Country is...

"The United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland"

You're all just quoting bit's of that.

@MrDeano324 Indeed "Britain" is a Geographical Term, but it is also cocurrently a Geopolitical one, that's why a person in Southern-Ireland could call themselves British "Geologically" (as Ireland is the 2nd largest of the "British Isles"), but not "Geopolitically" (due to the South splitting from us at the start of the 1920's).

[iSmeLLbUd]

@Ecthaelyon And celebrate the birth of 2 new super carriers =]

[GLADcss1]

omg again noob slide show

[breackbar]

There was a few missing but those where converted battleships eg furious was that delibrat

[Cyberwwwizard]

HMS Ark Royal (from the tv series SAILOR) and HMS Eagle, about 46,000 tons, roughly 40-50 aircaft of mixed type - you did show a couple of pics of the old Ark but no mention of it. Our biggest carriers ever until the new HMS QE2 and Prince Phillip due soon.

[HelmutVillam]

You missed Furious, Eagle, Ark Royal (1938), Unicorn and Courageous class.

[ShowPolitics]

@freebeerfordworkers I think they are both being sold off.

[MrFattyfatfatboy]

its cool how the poms flew phantoms off a ship smaller than an essex class while the americans thought it to dangerous and kept f8s to fly from thier essexs.

[Change6609]

It is a shame that the UK (or "England" like we normally say) won't have operational carriers for a few years (untill the 2 new ones are commissionend). I think the Royal Navy, with its proud tradition on the one hand and with China's growing navy on the other hand should always have aircraft carriers.

Regarding "England rules the waves" I can't resist to point out, that we, the Dutch, wun 3 naval battles from the british in the 18th century ;-) Luckily we're the best allies nowadays!

[freebeerfordworkers]

@Planetar17 Probably not as they would be sued for billions if they cancelled the contracts. That does not mean they would use them, they will probably leave them to rust in a remote anchorage.

[Planetar17]

Do any of you Brits know if Labour will preserve the QE-class in the event Cameron's government gets ousted?