Timeline for aircraft carrier service

Aircraft carriers have their origins during the days of World War I. The earliest experiments consisted of fitting temporary "flying off" platforms to the gun turrets of the warships of several nations, notably the United States and the United Kingdom. The first ship to be modified with a permanent flight deck was the battlecruiser HMS Furious, which initially had a single flying-off deck forward of the original superstructure. Subsequently, she was modified with a separate "landing on" deck aft and later with a full flush deck. Other ships, often liners, were modified to have full flush flight decks, HMS Argus being the first to have such modification begun.

HMS Furious in 1918 – Note forward flying off deck, and original cruiser superstructure.

Those first steps gave little indication of just how important the aircraft carrier was to prove to be. During the years between the World Wars, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States built up significant carrier fleets so that by the beginning of World War II, they had 18 carriers between them. The 1940 Battle of Taranto and 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor showed the world that the aircraft carrier was to be the most important ship in the modern fleet. Today, aircraft carriers are the capital ships of the navies they serve in, and in the case of modern US "supercarriers", they carry an air group that is effectively a small air force.

This timeline provides a unified chronology of key dates in carrier service. Aircraft carriers often serve their navies for many decades and this chronology enables the reader to track the progress of the carrier as it has developed alongside the evolution of aircraft for nearly a hundred years.

Pre-carrier history

1849

On 12 July 1849, the Austrian Navy ship SMS Vulcano was used to launch small Montgolfiere hot air ballons carrying bombs toward Venice. The balloons mostly blew back to the ship because of the wind, but one bomb reached the city.

1907

The British Admiralty reportedly turned down the Wright brothers’ offer to sell them aircraft, saying they did not see a use for flying machines in the navy.

Civilian pilot Eugene Ely takes off in a Curtiss Model D biplane from USS Birmingham

1910

On 14 November, the first successful airplane launch from a ship happened. A temporary wooden platform was used on the stationary USS Birmingham.

1911

On 18 January, the first airplane landing on a ship was made using a temporary wooden platform on the anchored USS Pennsylvania, with a special hook to stop the plane.

1912

On 10 January, the first airplane launch from a British ship occurred when Charles Samson flew from a platform on the stationary battleship HMS Africa.
On 2 May, Samson made the first flight from a moving ship, taking off from HMS Hibernia, which was moving at 10.5 knots. Later in June, he also flew from HMS London.

World War I

During World War I, important early steps were taken in using ships to launch airplanes. On 31 October 1914, the first aircraft-carrying ship, the seaplane carrier HMS Hermes, was sunk in battle. Later that year, on 25 December, aircraft from ships made the first attack from the sea on a land target at the Attack on Cuxhaven.

In 1915, the first attack using an air-launched torpedo happened from a seaplane launched by HMS Ben-my-Chree on 12 August. On 5 November, the first catapult launch of an airplane from a ship was made from USS North Carolina.

By 1916, airplanes were used for the first time in a sea battle during the Battle of Jutland. In August, an Italian liner called Conte Rosso was bought by the Royal Navy to become the aircraft carrier HMS Argus.

In 1917, the forward gun of the large light cruiser HMS Furious was replaced with a flying-off deck in February. On 2 August, the first airplane landed on a moving ship, HMS Furious, which was later changed to have a landing deck at the back. On 21 August, a Zeppelin was shot down by a plane from the cruiser HMS Yarmouth. HMS Argus was launched on 2 December.

In 1918, HMS Hermes was started on 15 January; it was the first ship built specifically as an aircraft carrier and the first to have an island superstructure. On 28 February, the Royal Navy bought an incomplete Chilean battleship Almirante Cochrane to become the carrier HMS Eagle. HMS Eagle was launched on 8 June. The first strike by planes from a carrier happened on 9 July during the Tondern raid, when British planes from Furious attacked a German airship base. HMS Argus entered service on 14 September. The war ended on 11 November with the Armistice.

Between the wars

1919

11 July – USS Jupiter was approved to be changed into a carrier.
11 September – HMS Hermes was launched.
16 December – Hōshō was started to be built.

1920–1929

1920

21 April – USS Jupiter was renamed USS Langley.
1 November – The U.S. Navy sank USS Indiana while testing bombing from the air.
6 December – Akagi was started as a battlecruiser.

1921

13 November – Hōshō was launched.

1922

6 February – The Washington Naval Treaty was signed to limit naval forces.
HMS Furious began its change to a full flight deck.
The Spanish seaplane carrier Dédalo entered service.
20 March – USS Langley entered service.
1 July – Battlecruisers USS Lexington and USS Saratoga were changed to become carriers.
27 December – Hōshō entered service.

USS Langley

1923

July – HMS Hermes entered service.
August – The French Normandie-class battleship Béarn began changing to a carrier.
Kaga and Akagi began changing from battlecruisers to carriers.

1924

26 February – HMS Eagle entered service.
June – The light cruiser HMS Courageous began changing to a carrier.

1925

The light cruiser HMS Glorious began changing to a carrier.
7 April – USS Saratoga was launched.
22 April – Akagi was launched.
1 July – The first night landing on a deck was made by F/Lt Boyce in a Blackburn Dart on HMS Furious.
September – HMS Furious returned to service with a full flight deck.
3 October – USS Lexington was launched.

1926

6 May – The first night landing on a deck happened on HMS Furious.

1927

25 March – Akagi entered service.
May – Béarn entered service.
16 November – USS Saratoga entered service.
14 December – USS Lexington entered service.

French aircraft carrier Béarn

1928

5 May – HMS Courageous entered service as a carrier; the first carrier with transverse arrestor gear.
31 March – Kaga entered service.

1929

26 November – Ryūjō was started to be built.

1930–1939

1930

10 March – HMS Glorious entered service as an aircraft carrier.
March – HMS Argus was put in reserve.

1931

2 January – HMS Courageous became the first carrier with hydraulic arresting gear.
2 April – Ryūjō was launched.
26 September – USS Ranger was started to be built.

1933

Japanese carrier Akagi

25 February – USS Ranger was launched.
9 May – Ryūjō entered service.

1934

21 May – USS Yorktown was started to be built.
4 June – USS Ranger entered service.
16 July – USS Enterprise was started to be built.
20 November – Sōryū was started to be built.

1935

9 September – The first landing of a rotary-winged aircraft on a carrier happened – a Cierva autogyro on HMS Furious.
16 September – HMS Ark Royal was started to be built.
21 December – Sōryū was launched.

1936

15 January – Japan left the Washington Naval Treaty.
1 April – USS Wasp was started to be built.
4 April – USS Yorktown was launched.
8 July – Hiryū was started to be built.
3 October – USS Enterprise was launched.
25 October – USS Langley was changed to a seaplane tender.
28 December – Flugzeugträger A (Graf Zeppelin) was started to be built.

1937

29 January – Sōryū entered service.
26 February – USS Langley entered service as a seaplane tender.
13 April – HMS Ark Royal was launched.
27 April – HMS Illustrious was started to be built.
4 May – HMS Victorious was started to be built.
17 June – HMS Formidable was started to be built.
30 September – USS Yorktown entered service.
10 November – HMS Indomitable was started to be built.
16 November – Hiryū was launched.
12 December – Shōkaku was started to be built.

1938

HMS Furious after flush deck conversion

Takasaki began changing to a carrier.
_Flugzeugträger B was started to be built.
12 May – USS Enterprise entered service.
25 May – Zuikaku was started to be built.
8 December – Graf Zeppelin was launched.
16 December – HMS Ark Royal entered service; the first carrier with deck armour.

1939

21 February – HMS Implacable was started to be built.
4 April – USS Wasp was launched.
5 April – HMS Illustrious was launched.
1 June – Shōkaku was launched.
26 June – HMS Unicorn was started to be built.
5 July – Hiryū entered service.
17 August – HMS Formidable was launched.

World War II

1939

September 1 – Germany invades Poland, World War II begins.
September 14 – HMS Victorious launched.
September 17 – HMS Courageous sunk in action.
September 25 – USS Hornet laid down.
September 26 – First Allied air victory in WWII, a Dornier Do 18 shot down by Blackburn Skua of 803 Squadron from HMS Ark Royal.
November 27 – Zuikaku launched.
November 3 – HMS Indefatigable laid down.

1940

Conversion of Izumo Maru to carrier started, renamed Hiyō.
Kashiwara Maru carrier conversion started, renamed Jun'yō.
HMS Argus recommissioned as training and transport carrier.
February 28 – German Flugzeugträger B cancelled while under construction.
March 26 – HMS Indomitable launched.
April 25 – USS Wasp commissioned.
May – Graf Zeppelin construction temporarily suspended.
May 25 – HMS Illustrious commissioned; first fully armoured carrier.
June – Béarn interned at Martinique.
June 18 – HMS Glorious sunk in action.
June 21 – Attack on Scharnhorst, first ever torpedo attack by aircraft on a capital ship at sea.
June 25 – France falls to Germany.
November 11 – Battle of Taranto is the first carrier-based torpedo-bomber attack.
November 24 – HMS Formidable commissioned.
December 14 – USS Hornet launched.
December 27 – conversion of Takasaki completed, commissioned as Zuihō.

1941

Submarine tender Tsurugisaki carrier conversion started.
Italian passenger liner Roma carrier conversion started, renamed Aquila
April 28 – USS Essex laid down.
May – Incomplete passenger liners Kasuga Maru, Yawata Maru and Nitta Maru carrier conversions started.
May 1 – USS Independence laid down as light cruiser USS Amsterdam.
May 26 – German battleship Bismarck disabled by aircraft launched from HMS Ark Royal. Bismarck is later sunk by battleships.
May 15 – HMS Victorious commissioned.
June 24 – Hiyō launched.
June 26 – Junyō launched.
July 10 – Taihō laid down.
July 15 – USS Cabot laid down.
August 8 – Shōkaku commissioned.
September 2 – Kasuga Maru carrier conversion completed.
September 15 – USS Bunker Hill laid down; Kasuga Maru commissioned as Taiyō
September 25 – Zuikaku commissioned.
October 10 – HMS Indomitable commissioned.
October 20 – USS Hornet commissioned.
November 13 – HMS Ark Royal sunk in action.
November 20 – HMS Unicorn launched.
December 1 – USS Bon Homme Richard, USS Intrepid laid down.
December 7 – Japan attacks Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii and in Philippines; as a result United States enters World War II.
December 20 – Submarine tender Taigei carrier conversion started.

1942

January 26 – Tsurugisaki carrier conversion completed, commissioned as Shōhō.
February – SS Scharnhorst carrier conversion started by Japan.
February 16 – Light cruisers USS Tallahassee and USS New Haven reclassified for completion as carriers.
February 27 – USS Langley sunk in action.
March 16 – USS Wilmington laid down as light cruiser.
March 18 – USS Oriskany laid down.
March 27 – Light cruisers USS Dayton and USS Huntington reclassified for completion as carriers; Huntington renamed USS Cowpens.
March 31 – USS Tallahassee renamed USS Princeton, USS New Haven renamed USS Belleau Wood, USS Dayton renamed USS Monterey.
April 9 – HMS Hermes sunk in action.
April 11 – Originally intended as light cruiser USS Fargo, USS Crown Point laid down.
May – Béarn demilitarised; Graf Zeppelin construction resumed
May 4 – Battle of the Coral Sea commences – first carrier-to-carrier naval engagement in history, and first naval engagement where neither fleet directly fired upon nor came within sight of the other fleet.
May 5 – Jun'yō commissioned.
May 7 – Shōhō sunk in action.

May 8 – USS Lexington sunk in action; Battle of the Coral Sea ends.
May 31 – Yawata Maru carrier conversion completed, commissioned as Unyō.
June – Incomplete Yamato-class battleship Shinano carrier conversion started.
June 1 – HMS Colossus laid down, and HMS Edgar laid down.
June 2 – USS Wilmington re-designated for completion as carrier.
June 4 – Battle of Midway commenced, generally considered to be the most important naval battle in the Pacific during World War II; Akagi, Kaga, Sōryū severely damaged in action, with Kaga and Sōryū subsequently scuttled.
June 5 – Hiryū sunk in action, Akagi scuttled.
June 7 – USS Yorktown sunk in action; Battle of Midway ended.
June 16 – USS Cabot renamed USS Lexington.
June 23 – USS Wilmington renamed USS Cabot.
July 31 – Hiyō commissioned; USS Essex launched.
August 1 – Unryū laid down.
August 3 – USS Kearsarge laid down.
August 11 – HMS Eagle sunk in action.
August 22 – USS Independence launched.
August 24 – Ryūjō sunk in action.
August 27 – HMS Glory laid down.
August 31 – USS Bataan laid down; Kasuga Maru reclassified as warship;
September 15 – USS Wasp sunk in action.
September 26 – USS Bon Homme Richard renamed USS Yorktown; USS Lexington launched.
October 1 – Amagi laid down.
October 18 – USS Princeton launched.
October 24 – HMS Audacious laid down.
October 26 – USS Reprisal laid down.
October 27 – USS Hornet sunk in action.
November 8 – HMS Ocean laid down.
November 12 – HMS Vengeance laid down.
November 13 – USS Crown Point renamed USS Langley, USS Oriskany renamed USS Wasp.
November 25 – Nitta Maru carrier conversion completed, renamed and commissioned as Chūyō.
November 28 – Taigei carrier conversion completed, renamed and commissioned as Ryūhō.
December 2 – HMS Ethalion laid down, subsequently renamed HMS Mars.
December 3 – HMS Venerable laid down.
December 6 – USS Belleau Wood launched.
December 7 – USS Franklin laid down, USS Bunker Hill launched.
December 8 – Katsuragi laid down; HMS Indefatigable launched.
December 10 – HMS Implacable launched; Argentina Maru carrier conversion started.
December 12 – HMS Warrior laid down.
December 15 – USS Bennington laid down.
December 31 – USS Essex commissioned.

1943

January 6 – HMS Theseus laid down.
January 14 – USS Independence commissioned.
January 15 – USS Shangri-La laid down.
January 17 – USS Cowpens launched.
January 21 – USS Yorktown launched.
January 22 – USS Kearsarge renamed USS Hornet.
January 26 – Chitose carrier conversion started; USS Ticonderoga laid down.
January 27 – HMS Triumph laid down.
January 30 – USS Reprisal renamed USS San Jacinto; Graf Zeppelin construction stopped and project cancelled.
February – SS Scharnhorst acquired to be completed as Shinyo.
February 1 – USS Hancock and USS Bon Homme Richard laid down.
February 17 – USS Lexington commissioned.
February 25 – USS Princeton commissioned.
February 28 – USS Monterey launched.
March – Chiyoda carrier conversion started.
March 12 – HMS Unicorn commissioned.
March 15 – USS Antietam and USS Lake Champlain laid down.
March 31 – USS Belleau Wood commissioned.
April 4 – USS Cabot launched.
April 7 – Taihō launched.
April 14 – Kasagi laid down.
April 15 – HMS Majestic laid down; USS Yorktown commissioned.
April 19 – HMS Terrible laid down.
April 26 – USS Intrepid launched.
May 1 – USS Hancock renamed USS Ticonderoga, USS Ticonderoga renamed USS Hancock.
May 3 – HMS Ark Royal laid down.
May 10 – USS Randolph laid down.
May 22 – USS Langley launched.
May 24 – USS Bunker Hill commissioned.
May 28 – USS Cowpens commissioned.
June 8 – Aso laid down.
June 17 – USS Monterey commissioned.
June 30 – Béarn transferred to the Free French forces.
July 5 – Ikoma laid down.
July 24 – USS Cabot commissioned.
July 29 – HMS Magnificent laid down.
August 1 – USS Bataan launched.
August 16 – USS Intrepid commissioned.
August 17 – USS Wasp launched.
August 30 – USS Hornet launched.
August 31 – USS Langley commissioned.
September – Incomplete carrier Aquila taken over by Germany after Italian surrender, but never completed
September 13 – USS Boxer laid down.
September 14 – USS Valley Forge laid down.
September 25 – Unryū launched.
September 26 – USS San Jacinto launched.
September 30 – HMS Colossus launched.
October 12 – HMS Hercules laid down.
October 14 – USS Franklin launched.
October 15 – Amagi launched.
October 18 – HMS Leviathan laid down.
October 27 – USS Midway laid down.
October 31 – Chiyoda carrier conversion completed, recommissioned.
November 15 – ex-SS Scharnhorst commissioned as Shinyo; USS San Jacinto commissioned.
November 17 – USS Bataan commissioned.
November 23 – Argentina Maru carrier conversion completed, commissioned as Kaiyo.
November 24 – USS Wasp commissioned.
November 27 – HMS Glory launched,HMS Powerful laid down.
November 29 – USS Hornet commissioned.
December 1 – USS Coral Sea laid down.
December 4 – Chūyō sunk in action.
December 30 – HMS Venerable launched.

1944

January 1 – Chitose carrier conversion completed, commissioned.
January 19 – Katsuragi launched.
January 24 – USS Hancock launched.
January 31 – USS Franklin commissioned.
February 7 – USS Ticonderoga launched.
February 21 – USS Crown Point laid down.
February 23 – HMS Vengeance launched.
February 24 – USS Shangri-La launched.
February 26 – USS Bennington launched.
March 1 – USS Tarawa, USS Kearsarge laid down.
March 7 – Taihō commissioned.
March 23 – HMS Albion laid down.
March 25 – First deck landing by a twin engined aircraft, a Mosquito on HMS Indefatigable.
March 26 – HMS Edgar launched.
April 15 – USS Hancock commissioned.
April 29 – USS Bon Homme Richard launched.
May 1 – USS Oriskany laid down.

May 3 – HMS Indefatigable commissioned.
May 8 – USS Ticonderoga commissioned.
May 20 – HM Ships Mars and Warrior launched.
May 30 – HMS Centaur laid down.
June 19 – Shōkaku and Taihō sunk in action.
June 20 – Hiyō sunk in action.
June 21 – HMS Hermes laid down as HMS Elephant (construction suspended at end of WWII).
June 28 – USS Randolph launched.
July 1 – USS Reprisal laid down.
July 6 – HMS Theseus launched.
July 8 – HMS Ocean launched;
July 10 – USS Coral Sea and USS Saipan laid down.
August 6 – Unryū commissioned; USS Bennington commissioned.
August 10 – Amagi commissioned.
August 18 – Taiyō sunk in action.
August 19 – USS Philippine Sea laid down.
August 20 – USS Antietam launched.
August 21 – USS Wright laid down.
August 28 – HMS Implacable commissioned.
September 7 – USS Valley Forge (CV-45) laid down.
September 15 – USS Shangri-La commissioned; HMS Furious decommissioned, placed in reserve.
September 16 – Unyō sunk in action.
September 30 – HMS Terrible launched.
October 2 – HMS Triumph launched.
October 8 – Shinano launched.
October 9 – USS Randolph commissioned.
October 15 – Katsuragi commissioned.
October 19 – Kasagi launched, never completed and broken up after the war.
October 24 – USS Princeton sunk in action.
October 25 – Chitose, Chiyoda, Zuihō and Zuikaku sunk in action.
November 1 – Aso launched, never completed and broken up after the war.
November 2 – USS Lake Champlain launched.
November 16 – HMS Magnificent launched.
November 17 – Ikoma launched, never completed and broken up after the war; Shinyo sunk in action.
November 18 – USS Valley Forge (CV-45) launched.
November 19 – Shinano commissioned.
November 21 – USS Valley Forge (CV-37) renamed USS Princeton.
November 26 – USS Bon Homme Richard commissioned.
November 29 – Shinano sunk in action.
December – HMS Argus designated an accommodation ship.
December 14 – USS Boxer launched.
December 16 – HMS Colossus commissioned.
December 19 – Unryū sunk in action.

1945

January 15 – HMS Vengeance commissioned.
January 28 – USS Antietam commissioned.
February 8 – HMS Mars commissioned as HMS Pioneer.
February 27 – HMS Powerful launched (construction suspended at end of WWII).
February 28 – HMS Majestic launched.
January 17 – HMS Venerable commissioned.
March – Ryūhō severely damaged by US air attack.
March 20 – USS Midway launched.
April 2 – HMS Glory commissioned.
April 9 – Escort carrier HMS Biter returned to U.S. Navy, immediately transferred to France, recommissioned as Dixmude.
April 16 – USS Boxer commissioned.
April 20 – Ryūhō placed in reserve.
April 25 – Incomplete Graf Zeppelin scuttled by Germany.
April 29 – USS Coral Sea launched.
May 5 – USS Kearsarge launched.
May 7 – Nazi Germany surrenders.
May 8 – USS Crown Point renamed USS Leyte, USS Coral Sea renamed USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.
May 12 – USS Tarawa launched.
May 10 – HMS Bulwark laid down.
June 3 – USS Lake Champlain commissioned.
June 7 – HMS Leviathan launched (ship never completed).
July 8 – USS Princeton and USS Saipan launched.
July 24 – Amagi heavily damaged during air raid.
July 25 – Kaiyo, having been damaged in action the previous day, is deliberately grounded and later refloated.
July 28 – Kaiyo further damaged in action, settles on bottom with 20-degree list to port.
July 29 – Attempts to refloat Kaiyo abandoned.
July 29 – Amagi capsized.
August 6 – U.S. nuclear strike on Hiroshima.
August 8 – HMS Ocean commissioned.
August 9 – Last of caretaker crew leave Kaiyo; U.S. nuclear strike on Nagasaki.
August 12 – USS Reprisal canceled.
August 15 – Japan surrenders; WWII ends.

Post-war 1945–1949

1945

USS Reprisal (incomplete) launched to clear slipway.
8 July – USS Valley Forge (CV-45) launched.
23 August – USS Leyte launched.
1 September – USS Wright launched.
5 September – USS Philippine Sea launched.
10 September – USS Midway commissioned.
22 September – HMS Hercules launched, laid up for possible future use.
13 October – USS Oriskany launched; Katsuragi assigned to repatriation duty.
19 October – HMS Edgar renamed and commissioned as HMS Perseus.
27 October – USS Franklin D. Roosevelt commissioned.
18 November – USS Princeton commissioned.
20 November – Kaiyo decommissioned.
30 November – Junyō and Ryūhō decommissioned.
3 December – First landing by a jet-powered aircraft on a carrier, HMS Ocean.
8 December – USS Tarawa commissioned.

1946

Ryūhō sold for scrap.
HMS Unicorn decommissioned and placed in reserve;
January – HMS Audacious renamed HMS Eagle.
9 February – HMS Theseus commissioned.
March – Graf Zeppelin refloated by the Soviet Union, repaired, and designated "PO-101" (Floating Base Number 101).
2 March – USS Kearsarge commissioned.
14 Mar – HMS Warrior commissioned as HMCS Warrior.
19 March – HMS Eagle launched.
April – Katsuragi placed on standby.
2 April – USS Coral Sea launched.
11 April – USS Leyte commissioned.

9 May – HMS Triumph commissioned.
11 May – USS Philippine Sea commissioned.
1 July – USS Independence and USS Saratoga used during a Bikini Atoll atomic test; both ships were damaged, but survived the test.
14 July – USS Saipan commissioned.
21 July – FH Phantom became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier.
25 July – USS Saratoga sunk by an underwater atomic bomb test at Bikini Island.
6 August – HMS Colossus renamed Arromanches and loaned to France.
16 August – Hōshō decommissioned.
28 August – USS Independence decommissioned.
September – First helicopter landing aboard a naval escort vessel at sea.
1 September – Hulk of Kaiyo sold for scrap.
18 October – USS Ranger decommissioned.
3 November – USS Valley Forge commissioned.
8 November – USS Bennington decommissioned, placed in reserve.
15 November – Katsuragi decommissioned.
December – HMS Indefatigable decommissioned.
December – HMS Argus sold for scrap.
19 December – First Indochina War begins.
22 December – Katsuragi sold for scrap.

1947

HMS Indomitable and HMS Formidable placed in reserve.
HMS Majestic and HMS Terrible purchased by Australia.
Junyō sold for scrap.
9 January – USS Essex, USS Yorktown, USS Bon Homme Richard, USS Bunker Hill, and USS Ticonderoga decommissioned, placed in reserve.
13 January – USS Belleau Wood and USS Cowpens decommissioned, placed in reserve.
15 January – USS Hornet decommissioned, placed in reserve.
28 January – USS Ranger sold for scrap.

9 February – USS Wright commissioned.
11 February – USS Cabot, USS Monterey, USS Langley, and USS Bataan decommissioned, placed in reserve.
17 February – USS Lake Champlain, USS Enterprise, USS Franklin, and USS Wasp decommissioned, placed in reserve.
1 March – USS San Jacinto decommissioned, placed in reserve.
22 March – USS Intrepid decommissioned, placed in reserve.
April – HMS Venerable decommissioned, placed in reserve.
22 April – HMS Centaur launched.
23 April – USS Lexington decommissioned, placed in reserve.
30 April – Hōshō sold for scrap.
6 May – HMS Albion launched.
9 May – USS Hancock decommissioned, placed in reserve.
16 August – Graf Zeppelin sunk in target practice by the Soviet Union.
12 August – USS Oriskany construction suspended.
1 October – USS Coral Sea commissioned.
7 November – USS Shangri-La decommissioned, placed in reserve.

1948

January – HMS Furious sold for scrap.
25 February – USS Randolph decommissioned, placed in reserve.
21 March – HMS Magnificent loaned to Canada and commissioned as HMCS Magnificent.
23 March – HMS Warrior returned to UK.
May – HMS Venerable sold to Netherlands.
28 May – HMS Venerable recommissioned as HNLMS Karel Doorman.
20 June – USS Princeton decommissioned, placed in reserve.
22 June – HMS Bulwark launched.
24 June – Soviet blockade of Berlin increased tensions in what would become the Cold War between NATO-allied nations and the Warsaw Pact.
27 October – USS Cabot recommissioned.
November – HMS Warrior recommissioned, fitted with a rubber deck for trials.
16 December – HMS Terrible commissioned as HMAS Sydney.

1949

HMS Unicorn recommissioned as transport carrier.
Dixmude converted for use as a transport.
18 April – USS United States laid down.
4 April – NATO alliance formed.
23 April – USS United States cancelled.
21 June – USS Antietam decommissioned, placed in reserve.
30 June – USS Tarawa decommissioned, placed in reserve.
2 August – USS Reprisal (incomplete) sold for scrap.

1950–1959

1950

HMS Indomitable went back into service; HMS Indefatigable became a training ship.
On May 3, HMS Ark Royal was launched.
On May 13, USS Bataan went back into service.
In June, work on USS Oriskany resumed.
On June 16, USS Kearsarge was taken out of service for updates.
The Korean War began on June 25.
On August 28, USS Princeton went back into service.
On September 15, USS Monterey went back into service.
On September 25, USS Oriskany officially entered service.

1951

Aquila was sold for scrap.
Arromanches was bought by France.
In January, USS Langley was loaned to France.
On January 15, USS Bon Homme Richard went back into service.
On January 16, USS Essex went back into service.
On January 17, USS Antietam went back into service.
On January 29, USS Independence was sunk during tests.
On February 3, USS Tarawa went back into service.
On March 20, USS Hornet went back into service.
On May 10, USS Shangri-La went back into service.
On May 12, USS Hornet was taken out of service to be updated.
In June, USS Langley went back into service as La Fayette.
In July, the first tests of a steam catapult were done on HMS Perseus.
On July 31, HMS Vidal was launched, the first small ship made to carry a helicopter.
On September 10, USS Wasp went back into service.
On October 1, HMS Eagle officially entered service.

1952

The first test of an angled flight deck was done on HMS Triumph.
The first test of a mirror landing aid was done on HMS Illustrious.
On February 9, USS Intrepid went back into service.
On February 15, USS Kearsarge went back into service.
On January 31, USS Ticonderoga went back into service.
On April 4, USS Ticonderoga was taken out of service to be updated.
On April 9, USS Intrepid was taken out of service to be updated.
On April 23, HMS Powerful was sold to Canada and work resumed.
On July 14, USS Forrestal was started.
On September 19, USS Lake Champlain went back into service.
In October, USS Boxer was reclassified.
On November 13, HMS Vengeance was loaned to Australia and became HMAS Vengeance; USS Bennington went back into service.
On November 14, USS Shangri-La was taken out of service for updates.
On December 16, USS Saratoga was started.

1953

HMS Formidable was sold for scrap.
HMS Unicorn was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On February 16, HMS Hermes was launched.
On February 20, USS Yorktown went back into service.
In May, HMS Indomitable was sold for scrap.
On May 15, USS Bon Homme Richard was taken out of service for major updates.
On July 1, USS Randolph went back into service.
On July 27, the Korean War ended with an agreement.
On September 1, HMS Centaur was launched.
On September 5, USS Belleau Wood was loaned to France.
On September 5, USS Belleau Wood went back into service as Bois Belleau.
On September 11, USS Hornet went back into service.

1954

HMS Perseus was taken out of service and put in reserve.
In mid-1954, HMS Implacable and HMS Indefatigable were taken out of service.
On February 15, USS Hancock went back into service.
On April 9, USS Bataan was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On April 23, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was taken out of service for updates.
On May 26, HMS Albion officially entered service.
On June 18, USS Intrepid went back into service in reserve.
On August 1, the First Indochina War ended.
On August 2, USS Ranger was started.
In September, HMS Pioneer was taken out of service and sold for scrap;
On September 11, USS Ticonderoga went back into service after updates.
On October 15, USS Intrepid fully returned to service.
On November 4, HMS Bulwark officially entered service.
In December, HMS Illustrious was taken out of service.
On December 11, USS Forrestal was launched.

1955

On January 10, USS Shangri-La went back into service.
On January 21, USS Cabot was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On February 25, HMS Ark Royal (R09) officially entered service with an angled flight deck, two steam catapults, and a mirror landing system.
On April 6, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt went back into service with an angled flight deck, steam catapult, and a special bow.
On May 14, the Warsaw Pact was formed.
In July, USS Midway was taken out of service for updates.
On July 1, USS Independence was started.
On August 13, HMS Vengeance was returned to the UK.
On August 15, USS Lexington went back into service.
On September 6, USS Bon Homme Richard went back into service.
On September 29, USS Forrestal officially entered service.
On October 8, USS Saratoga was launched.
On October 25, HMAS Vengeance was taken out of service.
On October 26, HMS Majestic was christened as HMAS Majestic.

On October 28, HMAS Majestic was renamed and became HMAS Melbourne; HMS Vengeance went back into service in reserve.
In November, HMS Implacable was sold for scrap.
On November 1, Clemenceau (France) was started.
On November 15, USS Boxer was reclassified.

1956

HMS Indefatigable was sold for scrap.
HMS Glory was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On January 16, USS Monterey was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On March 15, USS Wright was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On April 13, USS Hancock was taken out of service.
On April 14, USS Saratoga went back into service.
On September 26, USS Ranger was launched.
On October 29, the Suez Crisis began.
On November 3, HMS Illustrious was sold for scrap.
On November 15, USS Hancock went back into service.
On December 14, HMS Vengeance was sold to Brazil.
On December 27, USS Kitty Hawk was started.

1957

HMS Theseus was taken out of service and put in reserve.
In January, HMS Hercules was sold to India and work resumed.
On January 2, USS Oriskany was taken out of service for updates.
On January 17, HMS Powerful officially entered service as HMCS Bonaventure.
On February 15, Foch (France) was started.
On May 24, USS Coral Sea was taken out of service for updates.
On June 14, HMCS Magnificent was returned to the UK and put in reserve as HMS Magnificent.
On August 10, USS Ranger went back into service.
On September 14, USS Constellation was started.
On September 30, USS Midway went back into service.
On October 3, USS Saipan was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On December 5, HMS Ocean was taken out of service and put in reserve.
On December 21, Clemenceau was launched.

1958

HMS Perseus and HMS Ocean were sold for scrap.
In February, HMS Warrior was taken out of service.
On February 4, USS Enterprise was started.
On May 30, HMAS Sydney was taken out of service and held in reserve.
On June 6, USS Independence was launched.
On July 1, USS Enterprise (Yorktown class) was sold for scrap.
On November 4, the former HMS Warrior was sold to Argentina.
On December 28, USS Philippine Sea was taken out of service and put in reserve.

1959

On January 10, USS Independence went back into service.
On January 26, the former HMS Warrior officially entered service as ARA Independencia.
On January 30, USS Boxer was reclassified.
On March 2, USS Princeton was reclassified.
On March 7, USS Oriskany went back into service.
On May 15, USS Leyte was taken out of service and put in reserve.
In June, HMS Unicorn was sold for scrap.
On November 1, USS Cowpens was sold for scrap.
On November 18, HMS Hermes officially entered service.

1960–1969

1960

The ship Dixmude was turned into a living area for sailors.
HMS Ocean and HMS Theseus were broken apart for parts.
On 25 January, USS Coral Sea started active service again.
In May, USS Tarawa stopped operating and was put in storage.
On 21 May, USS Kitty Hawk was launched.
On 28 July, Foch was launched.
In September, Bois Belleau returned to the US Navy.
On 24 September, USS Enterprise was launched.
On 1 October, Bois Belleau was removed from service records.
On 8 October, USS Constellation was launched.
On 21 November, USS Belleau Wood was broken apart for parts.
On 6 December, the former HMS Vengeance started active service again as NAeL Minas Gerais.

1961

On 9 January, construction began on USS America.
On 4 March, HMS Hercules started active service as INS Vikrant.
On 29 April, USS Kitty Hawk began active service.
In May, USS Bataan was broken apart for parts.
On 1 July, USS Valley Forge was reclassified as LPH.
On 27 October, USS Constellation began active service.
On 22 November, Clemenceau began active service.
On 25 November, USS Enterprise began active service, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

1962

On 7 March, HMAS Sydney started active service again as a fast troop carrier.
On 15 March, USS Wright began conversion to a command and control ship.
In mid-1962, HMS Albion was designated as a commando carrier.
In August, Indonesia planned to invade West New Guinea; their war plans included sinking the Dutch carrier Karel Doorman using Soviet-supplied bombers with anti-ship missiles, but a ceasefire stopped the threat.

1963

On 7 January, USS Antietam stopped operating and was put in storage.
On 8 February, Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) test aircraft and a pre-Harrier prototype Hawker P.1127 first flew from HMS Ark Royal.
On 15 July, Foch began active service.
In March, La Fayette (USS Langley) returned to the US Navy.
In March, USS Saipan began conversion to a communications command ship.
On 11 May, USS Wright began active service as a command and control ship.

1964

On 19 February, USS Langley was broken apart for parts.
On 1 February, USS America was launched.
On 2 August, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident led the U.S. to greatly increase its role in the Vietnam War.
On 1 September, USS Saipan was reclassified as a Major Communications Relay Ship (AGMR).
On 22 October, USS John F. Kennedy construction began.

1965

On 23 January, USS America began active service.
On 8 April, USS Saipan was renamed USS Arlington.
In July, HMS Magnificent was broken apart for parts.

1966

HMS Centaur was designated as a support ship.
Béarn stopped operating.
The British 1966 Defence White Paper cancelled defense projects such as CVA-01 and started plans to end UK carrier aviation.
Dixmude was returned to the U.S. Navy and sunk as a target.
On 15 February, USS Midway stopped operating for more updates.
On 2 May, USS Lake Champlain stopped operating.
On 27 July, USS Franklin was broken apart for parts.
On 27 August, USS Arlington started active service again as a communication relay ship.

1967

HMS Victorious stopped operating for updates, but was later damaged in a small fire and decided to be broken apart.
On 30 August, USS Cabot was loaned to Spain and started active service as Dédalo.
On 31 March, Béarn was broken apart for parts.
On 27 May, USS John F. Kennedy was launched.

1968

Arromanches was redesignated as a helicopter carrier.
On 26 April, HNLMS Karel Doorman stopped operating and was put in storage, ending Dutch carrier aviation.
On 22 June, USS Nimitz construction began.
In July, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt stopped operating for updates.
On 7 September, USS John F. Kennedy began active service.
On 3 October, USS Tarawa was broken apart for parts.
On 15 October, HNLMS Karel Doorman was sold to Argentina.

1969

On 1 January, USS Lexington was reclassified as a training carrier (CVT).
On 13 February, USS Randolph stopped operating and was put in storage.
On 12 March, the former HNLMS Karel Doorman began active service as ARA Veinticinco de Mayo.
On 26 May, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt began active service again.
On 30 June, USS Essex stopped operating.
In July, HMS Victorious was broken apart for parts.
On 1 December, USS Boxer stopped operating; USS Philippine Sea was removed from service records.

1970–1979

In the 1970s, many aircraft carriers were retired or sold for scrap. Some ships were recommissioned, like the USS Midway in January 1970. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was started in August 1970, and the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev was started in September 1970.

In 1971, the HMS Centaur was retired, and the USS Bon Homme Richard was placed in reserve. The Indo-Pakistani War began in December 1971, with the Indian carrier INS Vikrant carrying out airstrikes. In 1972, the HMS Centaur was sold for scrap, and the USS Nimitz was launched in May. The Kiev was launched in December 1972, and Minsk was started.

In 1973, the USS Bunker Hill was sold for scrap, and the Paris Peace Accords were signed in January, ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The HMS Invincible was started in July 1973. In 1974, the USS Antietam and USS Kearsarge were sold for scrap, and the USS Intrepid was retired in March.

In 1975, the Kiev entered service, and the USS Nimitz was commissioned in May. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was launched in October, and the USS Yorktown became a museum ship. In 1976, the USS Hancock was retired, and STOVL Harriers were equipped on the Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo, making her the first STOVL aircraft carrier.

In 1977, the HMS Invincible was launched, and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was retired in September. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower entered service in October. In 1978, the Minsk entered service, and the HMS Illustrious was launched in December. In 1979, the HMS Ark Royal (Audacious class) was retired, ending conventional Catapult-Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery operations for the UK. The HMS Bulwark was recommissioned, and Príncipe de Asturias was started in October.

1980–1989

1980

HMS Bulwark was placed in reserve.
On 15 March, USS Carl Vinson was launched.
On 11 July, HMS Invincible entered service. It was the first ship built specifically for landing airplanes, and it had a special ramp called a ski-jump ramp.
On 1 August, USS Wright was sold for scrap.
On 22 September, HMS Ark Royal (Audacious class) was sold for scrap.

1981

On 26 March, Giuseppe Garibaldi was started.
On 27 March, HMS Bulwark was decommissioned.
On 10 April, HMS Bulwark was sold for scrap.
On 9 May, the first carrier with a ski jump was HMS Hermes.
On 2 June, HMS Ark Royal was launched.
On 13 October, USS Theodore Roosevelt was started.
On 9 December, HMS Triumph was sold for scrap.

1982

On 25 February, the Australian government announced plans to buy HMS Invincible and rename it HMAS Australia.
On 13 March, USS Carl Vinson entered service.
On 19 March, Argentina invaded South Georgia, starting the Falklands War. This war helped slow down the reduction of the Royal Navy, including its airplane ships. The plan to sell HMS Invincible to Australia was cancelled.
On 23 March, USS Intrepid was taken out of service and preserved as a museum ship.
On 1 April, Baku was launched.
On 1 May, the Argentine carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo tried to attack the British fleet but couldn’t launch airplanes because of bad wind.
On 2 May, the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano was sunk by a British submarine. The carrier Veinticinco de Mayo moved to a safe port for the rest of the war.
On 22 May, Príncipe de Asturias was launched.
On 30 May, HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned.
On 14 June, Argentine soldiers on the Falkland Islands surrendered, ending the conflict.
On 20 June, HMS Illustrious entered service.
On 5 July, USS Shangri-La was taken out of service.
In September, Novorossiysk entered service.

1983

On 22 February, Leonid Brezhnev was started.
On 4 June, Giuseppe Garibaldi was launched.

1984

On 12 April, HMS Hermes was decommissioned and placed in reserve.
On 27 October, USS Theodore Roosevelt was launched.
On 3 November, USS Abraham Lincoln was started.

1985

ARA Veinticinco de Mayo was not working and was stored for possible updates.
HMAS Melbourne was sold for scrap.
On 30 September, Giuseppe Garibaldi entered service as a helicopter anti-submarine warfare carrier.
On 1 November, HMS Ark Royal entered service.
On 5 December, Leonid Brezhnev was launched.
On 10 December, Riga was started.

1986

In April, HMS Hermes was sold to India.
On 15 April, the U.S. used airplanes from carriers and land bases in the 1986 Bombing of Libya.
On 25 August, USS George Washington was started.
On 25 October, USS Theodore Roosevelt entered service.

1987

On 11 December, Baku entered service.

1988

On 13 February, USS Abraham Lincoln was launched.
On 30 May, Príncipe de Asturias entered service.
On 9 August, USS Shangri-La was sold for scrap.
In October, Leonid Brezhnev was renamed Tbilisi.
In December, Ulyanovsk was started.
On 4 December, Riga was launched.

1989

Giuseppe Garibaldi began using Harrier airplanes, starting Italian airplane operations from a carrier.
INS Vikrant stopped using certain airplane operations and was updated with a ski jump for different airplane types.
On 14 April, Charles de Gaulle was started. It was the first airplane carrier not from the U.S. to use nuclear power.
On 20 May, the former HMS Hermes entered service as INS Viraat.
On 25 July, USS Hornet was taken out of service and preserved as a museum ship. USS Oriskany was also taken out of service to be preserved as a museum ship or sold for scrap.
On 5 August, Dédalo was decommissioned.
On 20 September, USS Bon Homme Richard and USS Bennington were taken out of service.
On 11 November, USS Abraham Lincoln entered service.

1990–1999

1990

The ship Riga was renamed Varyag.
On April 30, the USS Coral Sea was decommissioned.
On July 21, the USS George Washington was launched.
On August 2, the Gulf War began when Iraq invaded Kuwait.
On October 4, Tbilisi was renamed Admiral Kuznetsov.

1991

The ship Baku was renamed Admiral Gorshkov.
On January 21, Admiral Kuznetsov was commissioned.
The Gulf War ended with a ceasefire on February 28.
On March 13, the USS John C. Stennis was laid down.
On November 1, the ship Ulyanovsk was cancelled while still under construction.
On November 8, the USS Lexington was decommissioned.
On December 25, the Soviet Union dissolved and the Cold War ended.

1992

Construction of Varyag was stopped and the ship was transferred to Ukraine.
On February 4, Ulyanovsk was scrapped and the USS Bon Homme Richard was sold for scrap.
On April 11, the USS Midway was decommissioned and preserved as a museum ship.
On June 15, the USS Lexington was donated to become a museum ship.
On July 4, the USS George Washington was commissioned.
In September, Novorossiysk was laid up in reserve.

1993

On May 7, the USS Coral Sea was sold for scrap.
On June 30, the ships Kiev, Minsk, and Novorossiysk were decommissioned.
On July 10, the USS Ranger was decommissioned and placed on donation hold as of 2004.
On September 11, the USS Forrestal was decommissioned and also placed on donation hold.
On November 13, the USS John C. Stennis was launched.
On November 29, the USS Harry S. Truman was laid down.

1994

On December 1, the USS Bennington was sold for scrap.
On May 7, Charles de Gaulle was launched.
On July 12, HTMS Chakri Naruebet was laid down.
On August 20, the USS Saratoga was decommissioned.

1995

On August 1, Novorossiysk and Minsk were sold for scrap, but Minsk was not scrapped.
On September 9, the USS Oriskany was sold for scrap, but it was not scrapped.
On October 10, HMS Ocean was launched.
On December 9, the USS John C. Stennis was commissioned.

1996

On January 20, HTMS Chakri Naruebet was launched.
On August 9, the USS America was decommissioned.
On September 14, the USS Harry S. Truman was launched.

1997

The ship ARA Veinticinco de Mayo was decommissioned.
On January 31, INS Vikrant (R11) was decommissioned and planned to be converted into a museum ship in Mumbai.
On March 27, HTMS Chakri Naruebet was commissioned.
On July 30, the USS Oriskany was taken back by the US Navy because the scrapping contractor defaulted.
On October 1, Clemenceau was decommissioned.

1998

On February 12, the USS Ronald Reagan was laid down.
In April, Varyag was sold to China.
In August, Minsk was towed to China to be used in an amusement park.
On September 30, the USS Independence was decommissioned.
On July 25, the USS Harry S. Truman was commissioned.

1999

The ship Varyag left Ukraine under tow but was refused passage through the Bosporus Strait and stayed near the straits for three years.
In January, ARA Veinticinco de Mayo was sold for scrap.

2000–2009

2000

January 1 – USS Saratoga placed on donation hold.
October – Scrapping of Dédalo commenced.
November 15 – Foch decommissioned, and recommissioned as NAe São Paulo.

2001

March 10 – USS Ronald Reagan launched.
May 18 – Charles de Gaulle commissioned.
July 17 – Cavour laid down.
October 7 – War in Afghanistan begins.
October 16 – NAeL Minas Gerais decommissioned.

2002

Varyag allowed passage through Bosporus Strait, arrived in Dalian Shipyard in northern China.

2003

March 20 – US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq launched.
July 12 – USS Ronald Reagan commissioned.
August 7 – USS Constellation decommissioned.
September 6 – USS George H.W. Bush laid down.
September 11 – USS Forrestal designated for disposal.
December 2 – USS Constellation stricken.

2004

NAeL Minas Gerais sold for scrap.
January 20 – Admiral Gorshkov sold to India; being refurbished and renamed INS Vikramaditya.
April – USS Independence nominated to be sunk as artificial reef.
July 20 – Cavour launched.

2005

April 11 – INS Vikrant steel plate cutting started.
April 19 – USS America towed to sea for live firing tests.
May – Juan Carlos I laid down.
May 14 – USS America scuttled.
August 3 – HMS Invincible decommissioned, placed in reserve until 2010.

2006

May 17 – USS Oriskany sunk as an artificial reef.
May 31 – Minsk sold at auction, disposition unknown.
October 7 – USS George H. W. Bush launched.

2007

August 1 – USS John F. Kennedy decommissioned, placed in reserve.

2008

February – USS Forrestal prepared to be sunk as a reef; USS Independence and USS Constellation scheduled to be scrapped within five years.
March 10 – Juan Carlos I launched.
March 27 – Cavour commissioned.

2009

January 10 – USS George H. W. Bush commissioned; final ship of the Nimitz class.
February 28 – INS Vikrant keel laid
May 12 – USS Kitty Hawk decommissioned, placed in reserve.
July 7 – First steel cut for HMS Queen Elizabeth
November 13 – USS Gerald R. Ford laid down

2010–2019

2010

September 30 – Juan Carlos I was commissioned.

2011

March 11 – HMS Ark Royal (R07) was decommissioned.
May 26 – Construction began on HMS Prince of Wales.
August 10 – Ex-Varyag finished sea trials for the PLAN.

2012

June 8 – INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) began sea trials.
September 25 – Ex-Varyag became the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning.
October 10 – India and Russia delayed the handover of INS Vikramaditya until late 2013.
December 1 – USS Enterprise was decommissioned.

2013

February 6 – Príncipe de Asturias (R-11) was decommissioned.
August 12 – INS Vikrant was launched.
November 9 – USS Gerald R. Ford was launched.
November 16 – INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) was recommissioned.

2014

July 17 – HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) was launched.
August 28 – HMS Illustrious (R06) was decommissioned.
October 11 – USS America (LHA-6) entered service as the first of a new class of ships.
November 22 – INS Vikrant (formerly HMS Hercules) was scrapped.
November 28 – HMAS Canberra entered service in the Australian Navy, the first Australian helicopter carrier.

2015

March 25 – JS Izumo entered service in the Japanese Navy as their third helicopter carrier.
March 31 – USS Peleliu (LHA-5) was decommissioned.
December 4 – HMAS Adelaide (L01) entered service in the Australian Navy, their second helicopter carrier.

2016

June 2 – ENS Gamal Abdel Nasser entered service in the Egyptian Navy, the first aircraft carrier for an African country.
September 16 – ENS Anwar El Sadat entered service in the Egyptian Navy, their second helicopter carrier.

2017

February 14 – The Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo (A12) (formerly the French Foch (R99)) retired from service.
March 6 – INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hermes (R12)) was decommissioned from the Indian Navy.
March 22 – JS Kaga entered service in the Japanese Navy as their fourth helicopter carrier.
April 8 – USS Gerald R. Ford began sea trials.
April 26 – The Type 001A aircraft carrier, later named Shandong, was launched.
June 26 – HMS Queen Elizabeth began sea trials.
August 24 – Construction began on USS Enterprise.
September 8 – HMS Prince of Wales (R09) was christened.
December 7 – HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) entered service.
December 21 – HMS Prince of Wales (R09) was launched.

2018

January 3 – The sale of HMS Ocean (L12) to Brazil for £84.6 million was announced.
June 29 – PHM Atlântico (A-140) (formerly HMS Ocean (L12)) entered service in the Brazilian Navy.

2019

September 25 – The Chinese landing helicopter dock Hainan was launched, the first of the new Type 075 class.
December 10 – HMS Prince of Wales (R09) entered service.
December 17 – The Type 002 became the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong, the third and likely last Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier.

2020–present

2020

15 July – USS Tripoli (LHA-7) started service, the second and last Flight 0 America-class helicopter carrier before making the Flight 1 amphibious assault version.

2021

23 April – Chinese landing helicopter dock Hainan started service.
28 June – ROKS Marado (LPH-6112) started service.
4 August – INS Vikrant (2013) began testing in the water after delays.
13 August – Italian landing helicopter dock Trieste began testing in the water.
26 December – Chinese landing helicopter dock Guangxi started service, the second Type 075 landing helicopter dock.