From Gerald R Ford to INS Vikramaditya: A look at the world’s 10 biggest aircraft carriers
Aircraft carriers are among the world’s most powerful naval assets, functioning as mobile airbases that allow nations to deploy fighter jets and helicopters far beyond their shores. Equipped with flight decks, control towers and hangars, the massive warships project military power, support combat and reconnaissance missions, and are also used for humanitarian and disaster-relief operations, making them key tools of modern naval strategy.Gerald R Ford ClassThe USS Gerald R Ford, the lead ship of a new class of US Navy aircraft carriers, is the most technologically advanced carrier ever deployed by the United States and the first new carrier design in more than four decades.It features major upgrades over the older Nimitz-class vessels, including the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which replaces steam catapults and allows faster, more efficient aircraft launches and a higher sortie rate during operations.
Gerald R Ford Class (AP)
Measuring about 1,106 feet in length and displacing around 100,000 long tons when fully loaded, the nuclear-powered carrier is driven by two A1B reactors, giving it near-unlimited range and speeds of more than 30 knots. Its air wing can carry more than 75 aircraft, including F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, making it a cornerstone of US naval power projection.Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, United StatesThe Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are the backbone of the United States Navy’s carrier strike groups, designed to project military power and maintain maritime dominance worldwide. Named after World War II Fleet Admiral Chester W Nimitz, the nuclear-powered carriers can operate for decades without refuelling and support large air wings for combat, surveillance, and humanitarian missions. Ten Nimitz-class carriers are currently in active service.
Nimitz-class aircraft carriers
To protect against threats, the carriers are equipped with layered defensive systems, including Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS) for missile and aircraft defense, Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) for short- and medium-range threats, and machine guns for surface threats such as small boats. Advanced electronic warfare systems further enhance their survivability in hostile environments.Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, United KingdomThe Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, are the largest and most powerful ships ever built for the UK’s Royal Navy, designed to project British air power at sea. Each 65,000-tonne carrier can deploy up to 72 aircraft, including F-35B fighter jets and helicopters, and operate dozens of sorties daily while carrying more than 1,600 personnel.Equipped with ski-jump ramps for jet launches and advanced defensive systems such as Phalanx close-in weapon systems, the carriers are central to the UK’s naval strategy and global operations.
Image: UK Government
The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers displace about 65,000 tonnes, making them larger than France’s Charles de Gaulle-class carriers but smaller than the US Navy’s Nimitz-class, and roughly three times the size of the UK’s former Invincible-class ships. Each carrier can reach speeds of up to 25 knots, has a range of about 10,000 nautical miles, and can operate for around seven days between replenishments, with a crew of about 700 that can expand to 1,600 with a full air wing.Construction began in 2009, with HMS Queen Elizabeth christened in 2014 and commissioned into service in December 2017.Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia The Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers are Soviet-designed ships now operated by the Russian and Chinese navies, marking a major step forward in Soviet-era naval aviation. Using a ski-jump launch system for conventional fighter aircraft, the design improved on earlier Soviet carriers that could only operate vertical take-off jets.Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the class had a fragmented development history: Russia commissioned the lead ship, Admiral Kuznetsov, while an unfinished sister ship was later sold to China, completed as Liaoning in 2012. China subsequently built a modified third vessel, Shandong, which entered service in 2019, expanding Beijing’s aircraft carrier capabilities.
Admiral Kuznetsov
A key setback in the carrier’s development was the Soviet Union’s failure to master steam catapult technology, which prevented the adoption of a CATOBAR launch system used by Western carriers. As a result, designers shifted to a STOBAR configuration, adding a ski-jump ramp at the bow to help aircraft take off.While workable, the change limited the carrier’s aircraft launch capabilities and has been seen as a long-term constraint on its air operations.Liaoning, ChinaChina’s first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, was acquired from Ukraine in 1998 as an unfinished Soviet-era hull and later refurbished and modernised at the Dalian Shipyard. Commissioned into service in September 2012, the carrier serves as both a training platform and a symbol of China’s expanding naval ambitions.
Liaoning aircraft carrier
Configured as a ski-jump STOBAR carrier, Liaoning displaces up to about 60,900 tonnes at full load and is more than 300 metres long. It is equipped with anti-ship missiles, short-range air defence systems, and close-in weapon systems for self-defence, giving it both offensive and defensive capabilities at sea.INS Vikramaditya, IndiaINS Vikramaditya is India’s refurbished former Soviet aircraft carrier, originally commissioned into the Russian Navy in 1987 as Baku and later renamed Admiral Gorshkov. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, India acquired and modernised the ship for service as a short take-off but arrested recovery (STOBAR) carrier for the Indian Navy.The refurbished aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya underwent extensive modernisation to meet Indian Navy requirements, with 234 new hull sections added using about 2,500 tonnes of steel. The carrier is 284 metres long, about 60 metres wide, displaces roughly 44,500 tonnes, and rises around 60 metres from keel to mast.
INS Vikramaditya
The warship has 22 decks and about 2,500 compartments, many of which were rebuilt, and can accommodate more than 1,600 personnel. Upgrades included a ski-jump ramp, arrester gear systems, improved lighting, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, and desalination plants capable of producing around 400 tonnes of freshwater daily.Additional modernisation work covered new electrical cabling, structural improvements to the bow, upgraded aircraft and ammunition lifts, and expanded flight deck features, transforming Vikramaditya into a modern carrier capable of sustained naval air operations.Charles De Gaulle (R91), FranceFrance’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is the country’s flagship naval vessel and its primary power-projection platform, in service since 2001. Displacing about 42,500 tonnes and measuring 261 metres in length, it is one of the few nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the world and the only one outside the United States to use nuclear propulsion.
Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier
Powered by two nuclear reactors, the carrier can operate for years without refuelling, providing energy for propulsion, aircraft catapults and onboard systems for its roughly 2,000 crew. It uses a CATOBAR system to launch and recover aircraft, allowing heavier jets to take off rapidly compared with ski-jump carriers.Highly manoeuvrable and designed for global deployments, Charles de Gaulle is central to France’s naval strategy and its ability to project military power far beyond its shores.São Paulo (A121), BrazilThe São Paulo (A12) is a former French Navy aircraft carrier that served as Brazil’s flagship carrier after being acquired in 2000. Originally commissioned as Foch in 1963, the ship was built in France as part of the Clemenceau-class, which comprised two carriers that operated with the French Navy from the 1960s until 2000.Measuring about 266 metres in length and displacing roughly 33,700 tonnes at full load, São Paulo could reach speeds of up to 30 knots and carry nearly 2,000 personnel, including its crew and air wing, making it a key platform for Brazil’s naval aviation operations.Cavour (550), ItalyItaly’s aircraft carrier Cavour was launched in 2004, delivered to the Italian Navy in 2008, and entered service in 2009, later taking part in Haiti earthquake relief operations in 2010. Displacing about 27,100 tonnes at full load and measuring 244 metres in length, the carrier can reach speeds of around 27 knots and accommodate more than 1,200 personnel, including crew, aircrew and embarked troops.
Cavour (550), Italy
Designed for flexibility, Cavour can operate as an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship, carrying vehicles, landing craft and troops for military and humanitarian missions. Its flight deck features a ski-jump for short take-off aircraft and is suited for helicopters and VTOL fighters such as the F-35B, while its hangars and garages can house aircraft, helicopters, vehicles and tanks, making it a versatile multi-role naval platform.INS Vikrant, IndiaINS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, was commissioned on September 2, 2022, marking a major milestone in the country’s naval and defence manufacturing capabilities. Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, it is the largest warship ever constructed in India and features about 76% indigenous content, involving hundreds of domestic firms and generating thousands of jobs.
INS Vikrant
The carrier is about 262.5 metres long, displaces roughly 45,000 tonnes, and can reach speeds of up to 28 knots, powered by four gas turbines. Operating on a STOBAR system, it can carry around 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighters and multiple helicopters, and accommodates about 1,600 personnel.Beyond combat roles, Vikrant has demonstrated operational versatility, including a 2025 medical evacuation mission at sea, and generates enough electricity to power thousands of households, underscoring its scale and technological sophistication.
