# Aviation-capable naval vessel

Many present-day naval vessels, aside from aircraft carriers and full-length deck amphibious assault ships, are capable of carrying aircraft. A majority of United States Navy ships have at least a helipad, capable of landing medium-sized helicopters. Many others have decks and even hangars incorporated into the structure of the ship. It has become a standard part of modern ship design to have a deck that supports multiple, medium or large helicopters, as well as being able to house them in a hangar, for protection and maintenance. Aside from carriers and full-length deck amphibious assault ships, the US Navy has 12 classes of commissioned surface warships, 10 of which are aviation-capable. Two of those classes, patrol ships and mine counter-measure ships, are due to be replaced by the littoral combat ship, at which point the entire US Naval surface war fleet will be aviation-capable.

## US Navy ships

As of 2016, the current types and classes of US Navy ships, along with their capabilities are as follows:
| Type | Hull code | Class | Aircraft carried |
| Amphibious Command Ship | (LCC) | Blue Ridge | 2 × Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk helicopters |
| Amphibious transport dock | (LPD) (AFSB(I)) | San Antonio Austin | up to 4 or 6 × CH-46 Sea Knight or up to 5 × MV-22 Osprey Tilt-rotors. (also fixed-wing aircraft, such as the AV-8B Harrier II V/STOL jet, in an emergency - see USS Green Bay AV-8B Harrier testing) |
| Cruiser | (CG) | Ticonderoga | 2 × Sikorsky SH-60B or MH-60R Seahawk LAMPS III helicopters. |
| Destroyer | (DDG) | Arleigh Burke | up to 2 × MH-60R LAMPS III helicopters |
| Dock landing ship | (LSD) | Harpers Ferry Whidbey Island | 2 × CH-53E Super Stallion or 3 × CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters |
| Littoral combat ship | (LCS) | Freedom Independence | 2 × MH-60R/S Seahawk and 1 × MQ-8 Fire Scout |
| Submarine tender | (AS) | Emory S. Land | none (equipped with platform for medium helicopter) |
Along with these types and classes, many of the US navy's non-commissioned ships, specifically those of the Military Sealift Command, are aviation-capable as well. The United States Coast Guard also has cutters that are aviation-capable. Also, with the growing technology in UAVs and UCAVs, virtually every ship afloat has, or will soon have, some type of aviation capability.

## Other vessels

The following are examples of other types aviation-capable vessels from other navies around the world:
| Type | National Navy | Class | Aircraft carried |
| Amphibious transport dock | Chilean Navy | Foudre | 4 × helicopters |
| Command ship | Royal Danish Navy | Absalon | 2 × EH-101 helicopters |
| Corvette | Israeli Navy | Sa'ar 5 | 1 × helicopter |
| Cruiser | Russian Navy | Slava | 1 × Kamov Ka-25 or Kamov Ka-27 helicopter |
| Destroyer | People's Liberation Army Navy (China) | Type 052B or Guangzhou | 1 × Kamov Ka-27 helicopter |
| Dock landing ship | Royal Australian Navy | Bay | none (can accommodate Chinook-sized helicopters and Osprey-sized tilt-rotors on its deck) |
| Frigate | Royal Navy (UK) | Type 23 or Duke | 1 × Lynx HMA8 or 1 × Westland Merlin HM1 |
| Landing platform dock | Spanish Navy | Galicia | 4 × SH-3 Sea King or 6 × NH-90 helicopters |
| Landing Ship, Tank | Hellenic Navy (Greece) | Jason | none (equipped with platform for medium helicopter) |
| Helicopter destroyer | Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force | Hyūga | 3 × SH-60K, 1 × MCH-101 |

## Other types

* Battlecarrier
* Merchant aircraft carrier
* Submarine aircraft carrier
* Aircraft cruiser
* CAM ship
* Drone carrier
* Fighter catapult ship
* Interdiction Assault Ship
* Seaplane tender