Naval aviation
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Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by the navies of the world such as those operated by the United States Navy. Maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of land based forces such the Nimrods of the Royal Air Force.
History
Carrier air power played a central role in all Naval theaters of World War II. For example it was the Battle of Midway in the Pacific theater that marked a changing of the guard in maritime history, when the aircraft carrier replaced the battleship as the main capital ship of a battle fleet.
Major conflicts since the end of World War II that have involved carrier-based air power include:
Strategic projection
Carrier-based naval aviation provides governments with a strategic advantage because it allows them to project air power almost anywhere in the world without the necessity to have conventional airbases or overflight rights, both of which can be politically difficult to achieve. The aircraft complement of a single modern US Navy aircraft carrier (c. 80 aircraft) is numerically and militarily superior to many smaller nations' entire air forces e.g. Canada, Finland, Belgium etc.
Anti-submarine
Startegic power projection is not the only function of naval aviation. During the Cold War, the navies of NATO faced a significant threat from Soviet submarine forces, specifically Soviet Navy SSN and SSGN assets. This resulted in the development and deployment of light aircraft carriers with major anti-submarine warfare ASW capabilities by European NATO navies. One of the most effective weapons against submarines is the ASW helicopter, several of which could be based on these light aircraft carriers.
These light carriers were typically around 20,000 tons displacement and carried a mix of ASW helicopters and BAe Sea Harrier or Harrier II V/STOL aircraft. They were:
- Royal Navy: Invincible class aircraft carriers
- Marina Militare: Giuseppe Garibaldi class aircraft carrier
- Spanish Navy: Principe de Asturias class aircraft carrier
Fixed-wing carrier aircraft
- BAE Sea Harrier strike fighter
- Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter
- Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet strike fighter
- Lockheed Martin S-3B Viking ASW aircraft
- Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft
- Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft
- Boeing AV-8B Harrier II Plus strike fighter
- Dassault Rafale (naval version) strike fighter
- BAE Harrier II GR.7 V/STOL strike aircraft
Shipborne Naval Helicopters (ASW)
- Westland Lynx
- Eurocopter Dauphin
- EH Industries EH101 Merlin
- NH Industries NH-90
- SH-60 Sea Hawk
- SH-3 Sea King
- Kamov Ka-27 Helix
Shipborne Naval Helicopters (
See also
- military aviation
- Aircraft carriers, escort carriers, auxiliary cruisers
- Flying boats, sea planes
- RAF Coastal Command
- Aerial warfare
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