List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy

Multi tool use
List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
The following is a list of fleet aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.
![]() |
Ships of the Royal Navy |
---|
|
|
Contents
1 Key
2 Fleet carriers
2.1 Argus class
2.2 Glorious class
2.3 Eagle class
2.4 Hermes class
2.5 Ark Royal class
2.6 Unicorn class
2.7 Illustrious class
2.8 Implacable class
2.9 Colossus-class
2.10 Majestic class
2.11 Audacious class
2.12 Centaur class
2.13 Malta class
2.14 Queen Elizabeth class (CVA-01)
2.15 Invincible class
2.16 Queen Elizabeth class
3 See also
4 Notes
5 External links
Key[edit]
Aircraft |
The number of aircraft carried by the vessel |
Displacement |
Ship displacement at full combat load |
Propulsion |
Number of shafts, type of propulsion system, and top speed generated |
Service |
The dates work began and finished on the ship and its ultimate fate |
Laid down |
The date keel assembly was begun |
Commissioned |
The date the ship was commissioned |
Fate |
Notes on what happened to the ship: sunk, scrapped, cancelled, sold or some other |
Fleet carriers[edit]
Argus class[edit]

HMS Argus, 1918
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Argus (ex-Conte Rosso) |
18 |
15,775 long tons (16,028 t) |
12 cylindrical boilers; 4 Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts |
1914 |
6 September 1918 |
Sold for scrap 1946 |
Glorious class[edit]

HMS Furious
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Glorious |
48 |
27,419 long tons (27,859 t) |
18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
1 May 1915 |
January 1917 |
Sunk by Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, 8 June 1940 |
HMS Courageous |
48 |
26,990 long tons (27,423 t) |
18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
18 March 1915 |
November 1916 |
Sunk by U-29, 17 September 1939 |
HMS Furious |
36 |
28,500 long tons (28,957 t) |
18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Brown-Curtis geared turbines |
8 June 1915 |
June 1917 |
Sold for scrap 1948 |
Eagle class[edit]

HMS Eagle
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Eagle (ex-Almirante Cochrane) |
21 |
26,000 long tons (26,417 t) |
32 Yarrow boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
20 February 1913 |
20 February 1924 |
Torpedoed and sunk 11 August 1942, by U-73 |
Hermes class[edit]

HMS Hermes August 1938
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Hermes |
20 |
13,000 long tons (13,209 t) |
6 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
15 January 1918 |
18 February 1924 |
Sunk 9 April 1942 by Japanese aircraft from the carriers Soryu, Hiryu and Akagi. |
Ark Royal class[edit]

HMS Ark Royal in 1939, with Swordfish of 820 Naval Air Squadron passing overhead.
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Ark Royal |
54 |
27,720 long tons (28,165 t) |
6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
16 September 1935 |
16 December 1938 |
Sunk 14 November 1941 by German submarine U-81, off Gibraltar. |
Unicorn class[edit]

HMS Unicorn 1951
HMS Unicorn was an aircraft repair ship and light aircraft carrier; an "aircraft maintenance carrier".
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Unicorn |
35 |
20,300 long tons (20,626 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers; 4 Parsons geared steam turbines 4 shafts |
26 June 1939 |
12 March 1943 |
Sold for scrap 1960 |
Illustrious class[edit]

HMS Illustrious
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Illustrious |
36 |
23,000 long tons (23,369 t) |
6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
27 April 1937 |
25 May 1940 |
Sold for scrap 1956 |
HMS Formidable |
40 |
23,000 long tons (23,369 t) |
6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
17 June 1937 |
24 November 1940 |
Sold for scrap 1956 |
HMS Victorious |
36 |
23,000 long tons (23,369 t) |
6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
4 May 1937 |
14 May 1941 |
Sold for scrap 1969 |
HMS Indomitable |
45 |
23,000 long tons (23,369 t) |
6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
10 November 1937 |
10 October 1941 |
Sold for scrap 1955 |
Implacable class[edit]

HMS Implacable 1944
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Implacable |
54 |
32,624 long tons (33,148 t) |
8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
21 February 1939 |
28 August 1944 |
Sold for scrap 1955 |
HMS Indefatigable |
54 |
32,624 long tons (33,148 t) |
8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
3 November 1939 |
3 May 1944 |
Sold for scrap November 1956 |
Colossus-class[edit]

HMS Triumph 1950
The 1942 Design Light Fleet Carriers were designed and constructed by civilian shipyards to serve as an intermediate step between the expensive, full-size fleet aircraft carriers and the less expensive but limited-capability escort carriers. Perseus and Pioneer were modified to operate as maintenance carriers.
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Colossus |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
1 June 1942 |
16 December 1944 |
Loaned to France as Arromanches from August 1946, then sold to France 1951 |
HMS Glory |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
27 August 1942 |
2 April 1945 |
Scrapped 1961 |
HMS Ocean |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
8 November 1942 |
8 August 1945 |
Scrapped 1962 |
HMS Theseus |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
6 January 1943 |
9 February 1946 |
Scrapped 1962 |
HMS Triumph |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
27 January 1943 |
9 May 1946 |
Scrapped 1981 in Spain |
HMS Venerable |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
3 December 1942 |
17 January 1945 |
Sold to Netherlands 1948 and renamed Karel Doorman II then later sold in 1968 to Argentina as Veinticinco de Mayo. Scrapped 2000. |
HMS Vengeance |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
16 November 1942 |
15 January 1945 |
Transferred to the Royal Australian Navy from 1953 to August 1955. Sold to Brazil as Minas Gerais December 1956. Scrapped 2004. |
HMS Warrior ex-Brave |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
12 December 1942 |
November 1948 |
Loaned to Royal Canadian Navy 1946-48 and not commissioned into RN until November 1948. Returned to UK 1956 and modernised. Sold to Argentina as Independencia 1958. |
HMS Perseus ex-Ethalion ex-Mars |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
1 June 1942 |
19 October 1945 |
Scrapped 1958 |
HMS Pioneer ex-Edgar |
48 |
18,330 long tons (18,624 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
2 December 1942 |
8 February 1945 |
Scrapped 1954 |
Majestic class[edit]

HMS Hercules
The 1942 design was modified to take more modern aircraft and these ships became the Majestic-class. Not completed until after the end of the war, most ended up purchased by other navies.
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Majestic |
37 |
18,085 long tons (18,375 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines) |
15 April 1943 |
28 October 1955 |
Sold to Australia in 1949, and completed in 1955 to a modified design including an angled flight deck and renamed as HMAS Melbourne. Sold for scrap in February 1985 to China United Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Dalian, China. |
HMS Hercules |
37 |
18,085 long tons (18,375 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
October 1943 |
4 March 1961 |
Laid up till purchased by India in January 1957, renamed INS Vikrant, commissioned 1961, decommissioned 1997, scrapped 2014. |
HMS Leviathan |
37 |
18,085 long tons (18,375 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
October 1943 |
Never completed scrapped 1968 |
|
HMS Magnificent |
37 |
18,085 long tons (18,375 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
July 1943 |
7 April 1948 |
Loaned to Royal Canadian Navy upon completion in 1948. Commissioned in RCN March 1948, returned to Royal Navy 1957 and scrapped 1965 |
HMS Powerful |
18,985 long tons (19,290 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
November 1943 |
17 January 1957 |
Sold to Canada on 23 April 1952, then completed to a modified design with an angled flight deck and renamed HMCS Bonaventure |
|
HMS Terrible |
37 |
18,085 long tons (18,375 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
19 November 1943 |
16 December 1948 |
Transferred to Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Sydney 1948. Sold for scrap on 28 October 1975 to Dongkuk Steel Mill Co. Ltd., Seoul, South Korea |
Audacious class[edit]

HMS Eagle
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Eagle ex-Audacious |
60+ |
49,950 long tons (50,752 t) |
8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons SR geared turbines |
24 October 1942 |
5 October 1951 |
Sold for scrap 1978 |
HMS Ark Royal ex-Irresistible |
50 |
53,950 long tons (54,816 t) |
8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons SR geared turbines |
3 May 1943 |
25 February 1955 |
Sold for scrap 1980 |
HMS Eagle |
60+ |
49,950 long tons (50,752 t) |
8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons SR geared turbines |
19 April 1944 |
Cancelled January 1946 when 23% complete. Scrapped on slip. |
|
HMS Africa |
Cancelled |
Centaur class[edit]

HMS Eagle, HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion during the Suez Crisis.
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Centaur |
42 |
26,200 long tons (26,620 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
30 May 1944 |
1 September 1953 |
Scrapped 1972 |
HMS Albion |
42 |
27,800 long tons (28,246 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
23 March 1944 |
May 1954 |
Scrapped November 1973 |
HMS Bulwark |
42 |
26,200 long tons (26,620 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
10 May 1945 |
29 October 1954 |
Scrapped April 1984 |
HMS Hermes ex-Elephant |
42 |
27,800 long tons (28,246 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
21 June 1944 |
November 1959 |
Sold to India April 1986, as INS Viraat, decommissioned.[1] |
HMS Hermes |
42 |
27,800 long tons (28,246 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
21 June 1944 |
Cancelled October 1945, scrapped on slip. |
|
HMS Arrogant |
42 |
27,800 long tons (28,246 t) |
4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines |
1944 |
Cancelled October 1945, scrapped on slip. |
|
HMS Monmouth |
Cancelled |
|||||
HMS Polyphemus |
Cancelled |
Malta class[edit]
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Malta |
80 |
56,800 long tons (57,711 t) |
4 or 5 x shafts Steam turbines 8 x boilers |
Cancelled 13 December 1945 |
||
HMS New Zealand |
80 |
56,800 long tons (57,711 t) |
4 or 5 x shafts Steam turbines 8 x boilers |
Cancelled 13 December 1945 |
||
HMS Gibraltar |
80 |
56,800 long tons (57,711 t) |
4 or 5 x shafts Steam turbines 8 x boilers |
Cancelled 15 October 1945 |
||
HMS Africa |
80 |
56,800 long tons (57,711 t) |
4 or 5 x shafts Steam turbines 8 x boilers |
Cancelled 15 October 1945 |
Queen Elizabeth class (CVA-01)[edit]
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Queen Elizabeth (Possibly) |
50 |
54,500 long tons (55,375 t) |
3 x shafts Parsons turbines 6 boilers |
Cancelled 1966 |
||
HMS Duke of Edinburgh (Possibly) |
50 |
54,500 long tons (55,375 t) |
3 x shafts Parsons turbines 6 boilers |
Cancelled 1966 |
Invincible class[edit]

HMS Invincible
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Invincible |
20 |
22,000 long tons (22,353 t) |
4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts |
July 1973 |
July 1980 |
Sold for scrap 2010 |
HMS Illustrious |
20 |
22,000 long tons (22,353 t) |
4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts |
October 1976 |
June 1982 |
Sold for scrap 2016 |
HMS Ark Royal ex-Indomitable |
20 |
20,000 long tons (20,321 t) |
4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts |
December 1978 |
1 July 1985 |
Sold for scrap 2012 |
Queen Elizabeth class[edit]
Ship |
Aircraft |
Displacement |
Propulsion |
Service |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Laid down |
Commissioned |
Fate |
||||
HMS Queen Elizabeth |
50 [2] |
65,000 long tons (66,043 t) [2] |
2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 Gas Turbines [2] |
7 July 2009 |
7 December 2017 |
|
HMS Prince of Wales |
50 [2] |
65,000 long tons (66,043 t) [2] |
2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 Gas Turbines [2] |
26 May 2011 |
Expected 2020 |
See also[edit]
- Timeline of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
- List of escort aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
- List of seaplane carriers of the Royal Navy
- Aircraft carrier
- List of amphibious warfare ships
- List of aircraft carriers
- List of aircraft carriers in service
- Timeline for aircraft carrier service
- List of aircraft carriers by configuration
- List of sunken aircraft carriers
- List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
- Aircraft maintenance carriers of the Royal Navy
- List of ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy
- List of aircraft carriers of Germany
- List of aircraft carriers of Russia and the Soviet Union
- People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force
- Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy
- List of active French Navy ships
- List of active Spanish Navy ships
- List of active Italian Navy ships
- List of active Indian Navy ships
- List of active Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships
- list of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
- list of aircraft carrier classes of the United States Navy
- list of escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
- List of aircraft carriers by country
Notes[edit]
^ "INS Viraat bows out of service". The Hindu. Retrieved 2017-03-08..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ abcdef "Queen Elizabeth Class Facts and Figures". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
External links[edit]
- Maritimequest Royal Navy aircraft carrier photo gallery
Categories:
- Lists of Royal Navy ships by type
- Lists of aircraft carriers
- Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy
(window.RLQ=window.RLQ||).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.524","walltime":"0.612","ppvisitednodes":{"value":9081,"limit":1000000},"ppgeneratednodes":{"value":0,"limit":1500000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":54866,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":8920,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":12,"limit":40},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":2,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":1,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":6384,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 435.752 1 -total"," 32.72% 142.559 42 Template:HMS"," 31.09% 135.493 42 Template:Ship"," 22.42% 97.708 1 Template:Reflist"," 20.40% 88.903 50 Template:Convert"," 18.06% 78.684 1 Template:Cite_news"," 9.23% 40.233 84 Template:Yesno"," 6.53% 28.449 1 Template:Use_dmy_dates"," 4.40% 19.166 11 Template:Main_article"," 4.30% 18.735 1 Template:Royal_Navy_ship_types"]},"scribunto":{"limitreport-timeusage":{"value":"0.184","limit":"10.000"},"limitreport-memusage":{"value":4772396,"limit":52428800}},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw1320","timestamp":"20181026161611","ttl":1900800,"transientcontent":false}}});mw.config.set({"wgBackendResponseTime":101,"wgHostname":"mw1243"});});MBbNkMcGz gIYrLj t7 mwS,FMJo b65frcKAHQPkMKsz,gJCi7BlKjFk