Авианосцы ВМС США: история и классы

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Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these ships are designated with hull classification symbols such as CV (Aircraft Carrier), CVA (Attack Aircraft Carrier), CVB (Large Aircraft Carrier), CVL (Light Aircraft Carrier), CVE (Escort Aircraft Carrier), CVS (Antisubmarine Aircraft Carrier) and CVN (Aircraft Carrier (Nuclear Propulsion)). Beginning with the , (CV 59 to present) all carriers commissioned into service are classified as supercarriers. The U. S. Navy has also used escort aircraft carriers (CVE, previously AVG and ACV) and airship aircraft carriers (ZRS). In addition, various amphibious warfare ships (LHA, LHD, LPH, and to a lesser degree LPD and LSD classes) can operate as carriers; two of these were converted to mine countermeasures support ships (MCS), one of which carried minesweeping helicopters. All of these classes of ships have their own lists and so are not included here.

The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the U. S. Navy was USS Langley (CV 1) on 20 March 1922. The Langley was a converted Proteus class collier, originally commissioned as USS Jupiter (AC 3). It was soon followed by the other pre World War II classes: the ; Ranger, the first U. S. purpose built carrier; the, and Wasp. As World War II loomed, two more classes of carriers were commissioned under President Franklin Roosevelt: the , which is informally divided into regular bow and extended bow sub classes, and the ships, which are classified as light aircraft carriers. Between these two classes, 35 ships were completed. The Navy also purchased two training vessels, USS Wolverine and USS Sable, which were given the unclassified miscellaneous (IX) hull designation. The and the were built later in World War II, but entered service too late to serve in the war. The Midway class would serve during the entire Cold War. At the start of the Cold War, the first supercarriers, the United States class, were canceled due to the Truman administration's policy of shrinking the United States Navy and in particular, the Navy's air assets. The policy was revised after a public outcry and Congressional hearings sparked by the Revolt of the Admirals. Later in the Cold War, supercarrier construction began with the , followed by the ; Enterprise, the first nuclear powered carrier; and John F. Kennedy, the last conventionally powered carrier. These were followed by the and the modern day post cold war nuclear supercarriers, the only two classes of supercarriers that are currently in active duty service. With the ten ship Nimitz class complete by 2009, October 2013 saw the launch of Gerald R. Ford, lead ship of the planned ten ship Gerald R. Ford class. This was followed by the launch of John F. Kennedy in October 2019, while construction is underway on Enterprise and Doris Miller.