An aircraft carrier is not a mere big vessel equipped to engage in warfare. With never-ending territorial disputes worldwide, the aircraft carrier is a symbol of prestige and power for the global navies.
USS Gerald R Ford Class (CVN-78)
The world’s biggest aircraft carrier title belongs to the US Navy’s Gerald R Ford Class battleships. The first carrier in this class, USS Gerald R. Ford, was commissioned in May 2017, and the four remaining announced vessels of this class are under construction.
The Gerald R Ford, currently active in service, is 337m long with a beam of 78m. The vessels feature a total load displacement of 100,000t, and its 78m flight deck features an electromagnetic aircraft launch system and advanced arresting gear. USS Gerald R. Ford can carry over 75 aircraft and accommodate a total of 4,539 personnel. It is fueled by two nuclear reactors and has RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles, Airframe Missiles or RAMS and Phalanx close-in weapon system or CIWS.
Queen Elizabeth Class, UK
The largest aircraft carriers of the UK Royal Navy are the third-largest aircraft carriers in the world. The biggest warships ever built for British Navy, the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers are also the second-largest non-US Navy warships after Japan’s Yamato-class battleships.
Among the Royal Navy’s two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned in December 2017, while HMS Prince of Wales was launched in December 2017 and commissioned in December 2019
Both vessels have a displacement of around 65,000 tonnes and measure 280 meters in length. The vessels can embark on up to 40 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. They can embark on 36 F-35B and four Merlin Helicopters. Featuring the latest technology and automated systems aboard, these vessels only require a crew of 679 for a combat operation.