Centaur-class aircraft carrier

The Centaur class aircraft carrier was the final iteration of the 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier developed by the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. They were designed in 1943 to operate higher-performance aircraft than the preceding Majestic-class aircraft carrier. Four ships were laid down in 1944-1945 and completed in 1953–1959. Rapid developments in carrier warfare and technology overtook the ships even as they were under construction, and the associated costs of modernisation led to ships being completed to different specifications. Only the last ship, HMS Hermes (R12), was fitted as a modern fixed-wing carrier; she was also the last of the class to retire in 2017 as INS Viraat.

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1947 — 2017  Wikimedia, Wikidata
4 produced, 
aircraft carrier, Indian Navy, Royal Navy, Harland and Wolff, United Kingdom, 

Flugzeugträger B, HMS Albion, HMS Bulwark, HMS Centaur, HMS Hermes, INS Viraat, 

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Location: KML, Cluster Map, Maps,

• 

  HMS Centaur ⓘ
  Centaur-class aircraft carrier that was laid down in 1944, launched in 1947 and commissioned in 1953

• 

  HMS Albion ⓘ
  1947 Centaur-class aircraft carrier

• 

  HMS Bulwark ⓘ
  1948 Centaur-class aircraft carrier

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  INS Viraat ⓘ
  1953 Centaur-class aircraft carrier

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  HMS Hermes ⓘ
  1953 Centaur-class aircraft carrier

1947-01-01T00:00:00Z

2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

1947 — 2017 Centaur-class aircraft carrier

1953-09-01T00:00:00Z

1953-09-01T00:00:00Z

1953 HMS Centaur

1954-05-26T00:00:00Z

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

1954 — 1973 HMS Albion

1954-11-04T00:00:00Z

1981-04-01T00:00:00Z

1954 — 1981 HMS Bulwark

1959-01-01T00:00:00Z

1959-01-01T00:00:00Z

1959 INS Viraat

1959-11-25T00:00:00Z

1959-11-25T00:00:00Z

1959 HMS Hermes

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Frameless

Royal Navy aircraft carriers at Portsmouth, in July 1967

USS Oriskany (CVA-34) at anchor in Hong Kong, circa in 1963

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
object	watercraft	1953	HMS Centaur	light aircraft carrier, Centaur-class aircraft carrier	Wikidata
object	watercraft	1954	HMS Albion	light aircraft carrier, Centaur-class aircraft carrier	Wikidata
object	watercraft	1954	HMS Bulwark	light aircraft carrier, Centaur-class aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ship	Wikidata
object	watercraft	1959	INS Viraat	Centaur-class aircraft carrier, aircraft carrier	Wikidata
object	watercraft	1959	HMS Hermes	Wikimedia duplicated page, Centaur-class aircraft carrier, light aircraft carrier	Wikidata
commons	image		Royal Navy aircraft carriers at Portsmouth, in July 1967		Commons
commons	image		USS Oriskany (CVA-34) at anchor in Hong Kong, circa in 1963		Commons