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List of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy

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The following is a list of fleet aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. There are two carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, currently in service.

Key

Fate	Notes on what happened to the ship: sunk, scrapped, cancelled, sold or some other

Fleet carriers

HMS ''Argus''

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate

(ex-Conte Rosso)	18	15775 LT	12 cylindrical boilers; 4 Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts: max. speed 20 kn	1914	6 September 1918	Sold for scrap 1946

HMS ''Hermes''

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
	20	13000 LT	6 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines: max. speed 25 kn	15 January 1918	18 February 1924	Sunk 9 April 1942 by Japanese aircraft from the carriers {{ship	Japanese aircraft carrier	Sōryū	2}}, {{ship	Japanese aircraft carrier	Hiryū

HMS ''Eagle''

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate

(ex-Almirante Cochrane)	25-30	26000 LT	32 Yarrow boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines: max. speed 24 kn	20 February 1913	20 February 1924	Torpedoed and sunk 11 August 1942, by

''Courageous'' class

Main article: Courageous-class aircraft carrier

Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
48	27419 LT	18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines: max. speed 30 kn	18 March 1915	November 1916	Sunk by , 17 September 1939
48	26990 LT	18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines: max. speed 30 kn	1 May 1915	January 1917	Sunk by {{Ship	German battleship	Scharnhorst	2}} and {{Ship	German battleship	Gneisenau
36	28500 LT	18 Yarrow small-tube boilers, 4 shafts, Brown-Curtis geared turbines: max. speed 30 kn	8 June 1915	June 1917	Sold for scrap 1948

HMS ''Ark Royal''

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
	54	27720 LT	6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines: max. speed 30-31 kn	16 September 1935	16 December 1938	Sunk 14 November 1941 by German submarine , off Gibraltar.

HMS ''Unicorn''

HMS Unicorn was an aircraft repair ship and light aircraft carrier; an "aircraft maintenance carrier".

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
	35	20300 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers; 4 Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 shafts: max. speed 24 kn	26 June 1939	12 March 1943	Sold for scrap 1960

''Illustrious'' class

Main article: Illustrious-class aircraft carrier

Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned
36	23000 LT	6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	27 April 1937	25 May 1940	Sold for scrap 1956
40	23000 LT	6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	17 June 1937	24 November 1940	Sold for scrap 1956
36	23000 LT	6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	4 May 1937	14 May 1941	Sold for scrap 1969
45	23000 LT	6 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 3 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	10 November 1937	10 October 1941	Sold for scrap 1955

''Implacable'' class

Main article: Implacable-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned	Fate
	54	32624 LT	8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	21 February 1939	28 August 1944	Sold for scrap 1955
	54	32624 LT	8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	3 November 1939	3 May 1944	Sold for scrap November 1956

''Colossus'' class

Main article: Colossus-class aircraft carrier

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
	48	18330 LT	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
	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	27 August 1942	2 April 1945	Scrapped 1961
	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	8 November 1942	8 August 1945	Scrapped 1962
	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	6 January 1943	9 February 1946	Scrapped 1962
	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	27 January 1943	9 May 1946	Scrapped 1981 in Spain
	48	18330 LT	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.
	48	18330 LT	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.

ex-Brave	48	18330 LT	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.

ex-Ethalion
ex-Mars	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	1 June 1942	19 October 1945	Scrapped 1958

ex-Edgar	48	18330 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	2 December 1942	8 February 1945	Scrapped 1954

''Majestic'' class

Main article: Majestic-class aircraft carrier

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.

Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned
37	18085 LT	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.
37	18085 LT	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.
37	18085 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	October 1943		Never completed scrapped 1968
37	18085 LT	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
	18985 LT	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 and broken up in 1971
37	18085 LT	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

Main article: Audacious-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned

ex-Audacious	60+	49950 LT	8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons SR geared turbines	24 October 1942	5 October 1951	Sold for scrap 1978

ex-Irresistible	50	53950 LT	8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 4 shafts, Parsons SR geared turbines	3 May 1943	25 February 1955	Sold for scrap 1980
HMS Eagle	60+	49950 LT	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

Main article: Centaur-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned
	42	26200 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	30 May 1944	1 September 1953	Scrapped 1972
	42	27800 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	23 March 1944	May 1954	Scrapped November 1973
	42	26200 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	10 May 1945	29 October 1954	Scrapped April 1984

ex-Elephant	42	27800 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	21 June 1944	November 1959	Sold to India April 1986, as INS Viraat, decommissioned.
HMS Hermes	42	27800 LT	4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared turbines	21 June 1944		Cancelled October 1945, scrapped on slip.
HMS Arrogant	42	27800 LT	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

Main article: Malta-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion
	80	56800 LT	4 or 5 x shafts
Steam turbines
8 x boilers	Cancelled 13 December 1945
HMS New Zealand	80	56800 LT	4 or 5 x shafts
Steam turbines
8 x boilers	Cancelled 13 December 1945
HMS Gibraltar	80	56800 LT	4 or 5 x shafts
Steam turbines
8 x boilers	Cancelled 15 October 1945
HMS Africa	80	56800 LT	4 or 5 x shafts
Steam turbines
8 x boilers	Cancelled 15 October 1945

''Queen Elizabeth'' class (CVA-01)

Main article: CVA-01

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion
CVA-01 (possible name HMS Queen Elizabeth)	50	54500 LT	3 x shafts
Parsons turbines
6 boilers	Cancelled 1966
HMS Duke of Edinburgh (Possibly)	Cancelled 1963
HMS Prince of Wales (Possibly)
HMS Princess Royal (Possibly)

''Invincible'' class

Main article: Invincible-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement	Propulsion	Service	Laid down	Commissioned
	20	22000 LT	4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts	July 1973	July 1980	Sold for scrap 2010
	20	22000 LT	4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts	October 1976	June 1982	Sold for scrap 2016

ex-Indomitable	20	20000 LT	4 Olympus gas turbine engines combined gas and gas, 2 Shafts	December 1978	1 July 1985	Sold for scrap 2012

''Queen Elizabeth'' class

Main article: Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier

Ship	Aircraft	Displacement
	50
Est. 80600 t Full Load	2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 Gas Turbines
7 July 2009	7 December 2017	Active
	50
Est. 80600 t Full Load	2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 Gas Turbines
26 May 2011	10 December 2019	Active

Notes

References

"INS Viraat bows out of service". The Hindu.
"Queen Elizabeth Class Facts and Figures". Royal Navy.
Pape, Alex. (April 2023). "Jane's Fighting Ships 2023-2024". Jane's Information Group Limited.
. (10 December 2019). ["Commissioning day for HMS Prince of Wales"](https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2019/december/10/191210-hms-prince-of-wales-commissioning). *Royal Navy*.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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