Future Aircraft carriers
Future Royal Navy Aircraft carrierSeveral nations which currently possess Aircraft carriers are in the process of planning new classes, to replace current ones.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is currently planning two new Larger Aircraft carriers to replace the three units of the Invincible class currently in service with the Royal Navy. These two ships are expected to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. They will be able to operate about 50 aircraft and will have a displacement of around 60,000 tonnes. The two ships will enter service in 2012 and 2015 respectively. Their primary aircraft complement will be made up of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and their ship's company will number around 1000. The two ships will form the centrepiece of the Royal Navy, and will be the largest warships ever built by the Royal Navy. They will have adaptable designs to allow maximum flexibility in operations, and are likely to be designed with a ski jump for STOVL aircraft.
CVNX/CVN-21
US Navy
The current US Fleet of Nimitz-class carriers are to be followed into service(and in some cases replaced) by the CVN-21/CVNX Carrier. It is expected that the ships will be larger and will operate more aircraft than the 80 or so of the Nimitz, and will also be designed for lower detectability.
Design option for the new French carrier
French Marine Nationale
The French Navy has set in motion plans for a second aircraft carrier, to supplement the Charles de Gaulle. The design is to be much larger, in the range of 50–60,000 tonnes, and will not be nuclear-powered like the Charles de Gaulle. There are plans to work with the Royal Navy to develop a joint design, by BAE Systems and Thales, around the Royal Navy CVF programme.
Italian Marina Militare
The construction of the conventional powered Marina Militare V/STOL aircraft carrier MM Cavour began in 2001. It is being built by Fincantieri of Italy. After much delay the MM Cavour is expected to enter service in 2008 and to replace the Marina Militare aircraft carrier MM Giuseppe Garibaldi. A second aircraft carrier in the 25-30,000 ton range is much desired by the Italian Navy, to replace the already decommissioned aircraft carrier Vittorio Veneto , but for budgetary reasons all further development is on hold.
Indian Navy
India started the construction of a 37,500 tonne, 252 metre-long aircraft carrier in April 2005. The new carrier will cost US$762 million and will operate MIG 29 K and Sea Harrier aircraft along with Russian- and Indian-made helicopters. The ship will be powered by four turbine engines and when completed will have a range of 7,500 nautical miles, carrying 160 officers, 1400 sailors, and 30 aircraft. The carrier is to be constructed by a state-run shipyard in southern India. In 2004, India also bought Admiral Gorshkov from Russia for US$1.5 billion; it is expected to join the Indian navy in 2008 after a refit.
People's Republic of China
In June 2005, it was reported by boxun.com that China would build a US$362 million aircraft carrier with a displacement of 78,000 tons, to be built by the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The report was denied by Chinese defense official Zhang Guangqin.