Which aircraft are designed for aircraft carriers?

In real-world aviation, carrier aircraft are purpose-built or navalised aeroplanes, helicopters and uncrewed aircraft able to launch from and recover aboard a ship. They include catapult-launched fighters such as the F/A-18, short-take-off types such as the F-35B, airborne-warning aircraft, tankers, trainers and shipborne helicopters.

Which types of aircraft are carrier-capable?

Carrier-capable aircraft divide into five broad groups according to how they take off and land.

These examples cover different navies and eras; they are not all in service together. Some, such as the E-2 Hawkeye, were created specifically around carrier operations. Others are naval variants of wider aircraft families, including the Rafale M, MiG-29K and F-35C.

The F-35 variants are a common source of confusion. The F-35B uses short take-offs and vertical landings from suitable carriers and amphibious assault ships. The F-35C has a larger wing, reinforced landing gear, a catapult launch bar and an arresting hook for CATOBAR carriers. The land-based F-35A is not carrier-capable.

What jobs do carrier aircraft perform?

Carrier aircraft provide much more than fighter cover; a complete air wing needs surveillance, electronic warfare, transport, refuelling, training and rescue capability.

• Fighter and strike: F/A-18E/F, F-35B/C, Rafale M, MiG-29K, Su-33 and J-15 attack targets and defend the fleet. Our breakdown of Boeing military aircraft provides added context for the Super Hornet and its EA-18G derivative.
• Airborne early warning: E-2 Hawkeyes carry large radar systems and direct aircraft well beyond the ship's own radar horizon. Carriers without catapults may use radar-equipped helicopters instead.
• Electronic attack: The EA-18G Growler detects, disrupts and suppresses hostile radar and communications systems.
• Anti-submarine and rescue work: Seahawk, Merlin and Ka-27 helicopters can search for submarines, move personnel and conduct search-and-rescue missions.
• Transport and refuelling: Aircraft such as the C-2 Greyhound and CMV-22B carry people, mail and priority cargo. The MQ-25 is designed to refuel other aircraft; our explanation of the MQ-25 carrier tanker role covers that specialised mission.
• Carrier training: The T-45C Goshawk prepares naval aviators for catapult launches and arrested landings. Its carrier-specific configuration can also be explored through our T-45C model for FSX and Prepar3D.

Retired carrier aircraft include the F-14 Tomcat, F-4 Phantom II, A-4 Skyhawk, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, S-3 Viking and Sea Harrier. The Tomcat combined fleet air defence, interception and reconnaissance duties; simmers can examine that design through our flyable F-14D package for FSX and Prepar3D.

What makes an aircraft suitable for carrier operations?

A carrier-capable aircraft must survive violent launches, high-sink-rate deck landings, salt exposure and constant handling in a confined space.

• Reinforced structure and landing gear: Arrested landings impose loads far above those of a normal runway arrival.
• Compatible launch equipment: CATOBAR aircraft need the correct catapult interface, while STOBAR and STOVL designs must accelerate safely from a short deck or ski jump.
• Arresting equipment: Conventional carrier aeroplanes use a hook attached to reinforced structure, not merely a light emergency hook.
• Controllable low-speed handling: The pilot must hold a precise approach angle, power setting and flight path towards a moving deck.
• Compact deck footprint: Folding wings are common because aircraft must fit crowded parking areas, hangars and lifts, although not every carrier aircraft has them.
• Maritime protection: Corrosion-resistant materials, coatings, sealed systems and naval maintenance procedures protect the aircraft from salt water and humid air.
• Shipboard securing points: Tie-down fittings let deck crews restrain the aircraft during heavy weather and ship manoeuvres.

Can any military jet land on an aircraft carrier?

No. A conventional military jet cannot safely operate from a carrier unless its structure, landing gear, flight characteristics and launch or recovery systems are designed and certified for that ship.

A mistake we see constantly is treating any visible tailhook as proof of carrier capability. Some land-based fighters have hooks for emergency runway arresting systems, but their hooks and airframes are not built for repeated deck landings. Folding wings alone do not make an aircraft carrier-capable either.

Special trials also do not establish routine capability. A C-130 Hercules once demonstrated unassisted carrier take-offs and landings, but it was never adopted as a normal carrier aircraft. Likewise, maritime patrol aircraft such as the P-8 operate over the sea from land bases rather than from carriers.

How do you match an aircraft to a carrier?

The aircraft must match the ship's launch system, recovery equipment, deck dimensions and approved operating limits.

1. Identify the recovery method. Arresting wires require a compatible naval hook and strengthened airframe; vertical recovery requires a STOVL aircraft or rotorcraft.
2. Check the launch system. Catapult aircraft cannot assume every ski-jump carrier can launch them, while STOBAR fighters are not automatically compatible with CATOBAR equipment.
3. Confirm deck and lift clearance. Wingspan, folded width, weight and turning space affect where an aircraft can be parked and moved.
4. Use the correct variant. F-35B and F-35C, for example, serve different carrier systems despite belonging to the same aircraft family.

The practical answer therefore depends on the carrier. CATOBAR ships support the widest range of fixed-wing aircraft, STOBAR carriers use specialised ski-jump fighters, and STOVL ships operate aircraft such as the F-35B alongside helicopters and tiltrotors.