Aircraft cruiser
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The aircraft cruiser (also known as aviation cruiser or cruiser-carrier) is a warship that combines the features of the aircraft carrier and a surface warship such as a cruiser or battleship.
Early types
The first aircraft cruiser was originally a 1930s experimental concept of creating an all-around warship. The early aircraft cruisers were usually armed with relatively heavy artillery, mines and a number of aircraft fitted with floats (making the ship a kind of seaplane tender/fighter catapult ship). The early aircraft cruiser turned out to be an unsuccessful design. The rapid development of naval aircraft in the 1930s quickly rendered the vessels obsolete, and they were rebuilt e.g. as anti-aircraft cruisers.
A United States design for a
The Japanese built a pair of aircraft cruisers in 1937, the Tone-class cruisers. These ships had their main armament of 4x twin 8" gun turrets placed forward of the superstructure, and an aircraft handling deck was built aft of the funnel. The ships could carry a maximum of 8 float planes, launched by catapult, though the normal complement was 6. During World War II, in part to offset the loss of carriers at the Battle of Midway, Japan rebuilt its Ise-class battleships as hybrid carriers, placing the flight deck and hangar aft to replace the rear turrets, while retaining their main guns forward and amidships. The cruiser Mogami also had its rear gun turrets (which had been damaged at Midway) replaced by aircraft handling facilities. The German Kriegsmarine also studied several "Flugdeckkreuzer" (flight deck cruiser) designs in 1942 which included 20.3 cm (8 inch) or 28 cm (11 inch) gun turrets forward of the flight deck.
Helicopter cruisers
A newer variation of the aircraft carrier is the helicopter carrier, which is capable of operating at least 4 or more helicopters, including medium and heavy lift models. This is in contrast to surface warships such as cruisers, destroyers, and frigates which have basic aviation facilities, including a hangar and
Post-war the United Kingdom reconstructed the Tiger-class cruisers HMS Blake and HMS Tiger into helicopter cruisers, retaining their guns forward but having their aft guns removed for the installation of a hangar and helicopter platform for the operation of four Sea King helicopters.
The Italian
Interdiction Assault Ship
In 1980, there was a proposed “Interdiction Assault Ship” (IAS) conversion for the
Soviet and Russian aviation cruisers
In the Russian Navy, "aviation cruiser" is a designation for the Kiev and Kuznetsov-class ships. They are a cross between a cruiser and an aircraft carrier. Aviation cruisers have close-in weapon systems, both gun and missile, for self-defense against missiles or rockets. Unlike aircraft carriers who rely solely upon their aircraft and helicopter complement for offensive power, aviation cruisers are also equipped with cruiser weaponry to engage the full gamut of surface, submarines and aircraft adversaries.
The Kiev class of aviation cruisers is capable of carrying VTOL aircraft and helicopters. The ships have only a single angled flight deck for aviation. The forward deck is used to carry cruiser weapons, including P-500 Bazalt cruise missiles that are the main armament of the Slava-class cruiser.
The Kuznetsov class is classified as heavy aviation cruisers, reflecting their greater weight as well as the larger number of aircraft they can operate. In addition to helicopters, they are also capable of operating conventional fixed-wing aircraft like the
All Soviet aircraft carriers were built at the
Cruisers in name only
Some aircraft-carrying ships have been officially designated as cruisers, despite being for all intents and purposes light aircraft carriers. The Royal Navy's Invincible-class aircraft carriers were originally termed "through-deck cruisers" for political reasons (the CVA-01 project had recently been cancelled). In addition, they were expected to serve in some cruiser-like roles – taking on those roles from the RN's Tiger-class cruiser conversions – and were constructed in a similar fashion to cruisers. Later in their life they were however known as aircraft carriers.
Aircraft cruisers
Early types
- HSwMS Gotland
- Japanese cruiser Mogami
- Ise-class battleship
- Tone-class cruiser (fully functional heavy cruisers, but incorporated a heavy seaplane element for scouting purposes)
- Japanese cruiser Ōyodo (built as an aircraft cruiser but never operated as such)
Later types
- Kiev-class aircraft carrier
- Giuseppe Garibaldi-class aircraft carrier
- Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier
- VSTOL Support Ship (proposed)
- Interdiction Assault Ship (proposed)
Helicopters only
- Andrea Doria-class cruiser
- Italian cruiser Vittorio Veneto
- French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc
- Moskva-class helicopter carrier
- Haruna-class destroyer
- Shirane-class destroyer
- Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer
- Izumo-class helicopter destroyer
See also
- Aviation-capable naval vessels
- Battlecarrier
- CAM ship
- Fighter catapult ship
- Merchant aircraft carrier
- Seaplane tender
Notes
- ^ Friedman 1983, p.179.
- ^ Bonner 1997, p.150.
- ^ Mizokami, Kyle (April 26, 2019). "The Ultimate Warship: A Hybrid Aircraft Carrer-Battleship?". The National Interest.
- ^ Miller, David V.; Hine, Jr., Jonathan T. (31 January 1990). Soviet Carriers in the Turkish Straits (PDF). Newport, Rhode Island: Naval War College. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 14, 2016.
- ^ John Pike. "Montreux Convention 1936". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
Bibliography
- Bonner, Kermit (1997). Final Voyages. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56311-289-8. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ISBN 978-0-87021-739-5. Retrieved 2010-12-08.