Helicopter carrier
A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. It has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy, or extend only partway, usually aft, as in the Soviet Navy's or in the Chinese Navy's Type 0891A. It often also has a hangar deck for the storage and maintenance of rotorwing aircraft.
Pure helicopter carriers are difficult to define in the 21st century. The advent of STOVL aircraft such as the Harrier jump jet, and now the F-35B, have complicated the classification; the United States Navy's, for instance, carries six to eight Harriers as well as over 20 helicopters. Only smaller carriers unable to operate the Harrier, and older, pre-Harrier-era carriers, can be regarded as true helicopter carriers. In many cases, other carriers, able to operate STOVL aircraft, are classified as "light aircraft carriers". Other vessels, such as the Wasp class, are also capable of embarking troops such as marines and landing them ashore; they are classified as landing helicopter docks.
Helicopter carriers have been used as anti-submarine warfare carriers and amphibious assault ships.
and two of her sisters were 22,000 ton fleet carriers converted to "commando carriers" only able to operate helicopters. Hermes was later converted to a STOVL carrier.
Helicopter carriers by country
| Country | Navy | In service | In reserve | Fitting out | Under construction |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Helicopter carriers
Retired helicopter carriers
- – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1962 to 1973
- – an helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1992
- – landing helicopter dock, active 1998–2020
- – converted from light carrier and operating in helicopter carrier role from 1960 to 1981
- - an Andrea Doria-class helicopter cruiser active from 1964 to 1989
- , decommissioned in 1946 – world's first helicopter carrier.
- – an light aircraft carrier, which operated as a helicopter carrier when HMS Ocean was being refitted.
- – lead of the seven-ship, active from the early 1960s to the early 2000s
- , decommissioned in 2010
- – second of the two-ship - active 1969–1991
- – lead of the two-ship Moskva class, active 1967–1991
- ex- – helicopter carrier 1998–2018, decommissioned March 2018.
- *Sold to Brazil in February 2018, renamed Atlântico
- – a helicopter cruiser active from 1969 to 2003