• Source: Light aircraft carrier

A light aircraft carrier, or light fleet carrier, is an aircraft carrier smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only one-half to two-thirds the size of a full-sized fleet carrier. A light carrier was similar in concept to an escort carrier in most respects; however, light carriers were intended for higher speeds to be deployed alongside fleet carriers, while escort carriers were typically relatively slow and usually defended equally slow convoys, as well as providing air support during amphibious operations.




History



In World War II, the United States Navy produced a number of light carriers by converting cruiser hulls. These Independence-class aircraft carriers, converted from Cleveland-class light cruisers, were unsatisfactory ships for aviation with their narrow, short decks and slender, high-sheer hulls; in virtually all respects the escort carriers were superior aviation vessels. These issues were superseded by Independence-class ships' virtue of being available at a time when available carrier decks had been reduced to Enterprise and Saratoga in the Pacific and Ranger in the Atlantic. In addition, they had enough speed to take part in fleet actions with the larger carriers while escort carriers did not. Late in the war, a follow on to the Independence class, the Saipan class, was designed. Two vessels in this class—Saipan and Wright—were completed after the war's end. After very brief lives as carriers, the Saipans were converted to command and communication ships.
By the start of World War II, the Royal Navy's HMS Hermes, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier (launched 1919, sunk 1942) was being considered as equivalent to a light aircraft carrier, due to her small size, small aircraft complement and lack of armour. The British 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier, originally designated the Colossus class, was a scaled-down version of their Illustrious-class fleet carrier. The design could be built in a yard with little or no experience of warship construction. Although built to merchant standards, the design incorporated better watertight subdivision. Expected to have a lifetime of about three years, the last of the design was taken out of service in 2001. The first ten were built as the Colossus class, though two of these were modified whilst under construction into aircraft maintenance carriers. An additional five carriers, none of which were completed in time for service in World War II, were built with revisions upgrading the design to handle larger and heavier aircraft, receiving the designation Majestic class. In the post-war period, the Royal Navy operated a force of the ten Colossus carriers, while the five Majestic carriers were sold, during construction, to Australia, Canada and India. The Majestics were followed, after the war, by the four light carriers of the Centaur class.
In the 1970s the Royal Navy introduced a new type of light carrier, designed to operate the V/STOL Hawker Siddeley Harrier. Originally classed as "through-deck cruisers", the three-ship Invincible class served into the early 21st century; HMS Invincible was key to the British victory in the Falklands War.




List of light carriers






= Active

=
Italy
Cavour
Spain
Juan Carlos I
Thailand
HTMS Chakri Naruebet
Japan
JS Kaga
JS Izumo




= Retired

=
Argentina
ARA Independencia (Colossus class)
ARA Veinticinco de Mayo (Colossus class)
Australia
HMAS Sydney (Majestic class)
HMAS Vengeance (Colossus class)
HMAS Melbourne (Majestic class)
Brazil
Minas Gerais (Colossus class)
Canada
HMCS Warrior (Colossus class)
HMCS Magnificent (Majestic class)
HMCS Bonaventure (Majestic class)
France
Lafayette class (ex-Independence class):
Bois Belleau
La Fayette
Arromanches (Colossus class)
India
INS Vikrant (Majestic class)
INS Viraat (Centaur class)
Italy
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Japan
Hōshō
Ryūjō
Zuihō class
Zuihō
Shōhō
Ryūhō
Chitose class
Chitose
Chiyoda
Netherlands
HNLMS Karel Doorman (Colossus class)
Spain
Dédalo (Independence class)
Príncipe de Asturias
United Kingdom
HMS Hermes
HMS Unicorn
1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier
Colossus class
HMS Colossus
HMS Glory
HMS Ocean
HMS Venerable
HMS Vengeance
HMS Pioneer (maintenance carrier)
HMS Warrior
HMS Theseus
HMS Triumph
HMS Perseus (maintenance carrier)
Majestic class (none saw service in the Royal Navy)
Majestic (entered service as HMAS Melbourne)
Terrible (entered service as HMAS Sydney)
Magnificent (entered service as HMCS Magnificent)
Hercules (entered service as INS Vikrant)
Powerful (entered service as HMCS Bonaventure)
Centaur class
HMS Centaur
HMS Albion
HMS Bulwark
HMS Hermes
Invincible class
HMS Invincible
HMS Illustrious
HMS Ark Royal
United States
Independence class
USS Bataan
USS Belleau Wood
USS Cabot
USS Cowpens
USS Independence
USS Langley
USS Monterey
USS Princeton
USS San Jacinto
Saipan class
USS Saipan
USS Wright




See also


Anti-submarine warfare carrier
Escort carrier of post-World War II
Helicopter carrier
Amphibious assault ship
Landing helicopter assault
Landing helicopter dock
Landing platform helicopter
List of STOVL carriers
List of aircraft carriers of World War II
List of escort aircraft carriers of the Second World War




Notes






References


Brown, David (1977). Aircraft Carriers. Arco Publishing. ISBN 0-668-04164-1.
Chesneau, Roger (1998). Aircraft Carriers of the World, 1914 to the Present. An Illustrated Encyclopedia (Rev Ed). London: Brockhampton Press. p. 288. ISBN 1-86019-875-9.
Watts, Anthony J. (1967). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company.

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• Light aircraft carrier
• 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier
• List of aircraft carriers
• Independence-class aircraft carrier
• Aircraft carrier
• List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
• Centaur-class aircraft carrier
• History of the aircraft carrier
• Invincible-class aircraft carrier
• Escort carrier