sentence-transformers/squad huggingface dataset:
Passage: Since the early 1950s on conventional carriers it has been the practice to recover aircraft at an angle to port of the axial line of the ship. The primary function of this angled deck is to allow aircraft that miss the arresting wires, referred to as a bolter, to become airborne again without the risk of hitting aircraft parked forward. The angled deck allows the installation of one or two "waist" catapults in addition to the two bow cats. An angled deck also improves launch and recovery cycle flexibility with the option of simultaneous launching and recovery of aircraft.

Question: When did conventional carriers start recovering aircraft at an angle to port of the axial line of the ship?

Question: What risk is avoided by aircraft by using an angled deck?

Question: How many "waist" catapults can be installed with an angled deck?

Question: How man bow cats can be installed with an angled deck?

Question: What aircraft design feature improves launch and recovery cycle flexibilty?
Passage: Another deck structure that can be seen is a ski-jump ramp at the forward end of the flight deck. This was first developed to help launch STOVL aircraft take off at far higher weights than is possible with a vertical or rolling takeoff on flat decks. Originally developed by the Royal Navy, it since has been adopted by many navies for smaller carriers. A ski-jump ramp works by converting some of the forward rolling movement of the aircraft into vertical velocity and is sometimes combined with the aiming of jet thrust partly downwards. This allows heavily loaded and fueled aircraft a few more precious seconds to attain sufficient air velocity and lift to sustain normal flight. Without a ski-jump launching fully loaded and fueled aircraft such as the Harrier would not be possible on a smaller flat deck ship before either stalling out or crashing directly into the sea.

Question: Where are ski-jump ramps located on aircraft carriers?

Question: What did ski-jump ramps allow STOVL aircraft to do that they couldn't do with a flat deck??

Question: Who originally developed the ski-jump ramp?

Question: What does a ski-jump ramp convert in order to be successful?

Question: What does the ski-jump ramp prevent a fully loaded and fueled aircraft from doing?
Passage: An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a naval force to project air power worldwide without depending on local bases for staging aircraft operations. Aircraft carriers are expensive to build and are critical assets. Aircraft carriers have evolved from converted cruisers to nuclear-powered warships that carry numerous fighter planes, strike aircraft, helicopters, and other types of aircraft.

Question: What type of flight decks are aircraft carriers equipped with?

Question: What purpose do aircraft carriers serve for aircraft?

Question: Typically, what is the capital ship of any fleet?

Question: What have the old converted cruiser aircraft carriers evolved into?

Question: What do aircraft carriers allow naval forces to accomplish?
Passage: The 1903 advent of heavier-than-air fixed-wing aircraft was closely followed in 1910 by the first experimental take-off of an airplane, made from the deck of a United States Navy vessel (cruiser USS Birmingham), and the first experimental landings were conducted in 1911. On 9 May 1912 the first airplane take-off from a ship underway was made from the deck of the British Royal Navy's HMS Hibernia. Seaplane tender support ships came next, with the French Foudre of 1911. In September 1914 the Imperial Japanese Navy Wakamiya conducted the world's first successful ship-launched air raid: on 6 September 1914 a Farman aircraft launched by Wakamiya attacked the Austro-Hungarian cruiser SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth and the German gunboat Jaguar in Kiaochow Bay off Tsingtao; neither was hit. The first carrier-launched airstrike was the Tondern Raid in July 1918. Seven Sopwith Camels launched from the converted battlecruiser HMS Furious damaged the German airbase at Tønder and destroyed two zeppelins.

Question: In what year was the advent of heavier-than-air fixed-wing aircraft?

Question: In what year was the first experimental take-off of an airplane?

Question: In what year were the first experimental landings of an airplane?

Question: What was the first carrier-launched airstrike?

Question: What did the Imperial Japanese Navy Wakamiya conduct in September 1914?
Passage: Modern navies that operate such aircraft carriers treat them as the capital ship of the fleet, a role previously held by the battleship. This change took place during World War II in response to air power becoming a significant factor in warfare, driven by the superior range, flexibility and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft. Following the war, carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance. Supercarriers, displacing 75,000 tonnes or greater, have become the pinnacle of carrier development. Some are powered by nuclear reactors and form the core of a fleet designed to operate far from home. Amphibious assault ships, such as USS Tarawa and HMS Ocean, serve the purpose of carrying and landing Marines, and operate a large contingent of helicopters for that purpose. Also known as "commando carriers" or "helicopter carriers", many have the capability to operate VSTOL aircraft.

Question: Which ship was originally known as being the capital ship of the fleet?

Question: When did aircraft carriers begin being know as the capital ship of the fleet?

Question: What type of carrier is capable of displacing 75,000 tonnes or greater?

Question: Which ships are used for carrying and landing Marines?

Question: What do Amphibious assalut ships need a large contingent of for carrying Marines?
Passage: The Royal Australian Navy is in the process of procuring two Canberra-class LHD's, the first of which was commissioned in November 2015, while the second is expected to enter service in 2016. The ships will be the largest in Australian naval history. Their primary roles are to embark, transport and deploy an embarked force and to carry out or support humanitarian assistance missions. The LHD is capable of launching multiple helicopters at one time while maintaining an amphibious capability of 1,000 troops and their supporting vehicles (tanks, armoured personnel carriers etc.). The Australian Defence Minister has publicly raised the possibility of procuring F-35B STOVL aircraft for the carrier, stating that it "has been on the table since day one and stating the LHD's are "STOVL capable".

Question: Who is in the process of procuring two Canbera-class LHD's?

Question: How large will the two Canbera-class LDH's be?

Question: How many troops can be maintained on a Canbera-class LHD?

Question: What is one primary role of the Canbera-class LDH?

Question: How many helicopters is the LHD capable of launching?
Passage: The British Royal Navy is constructing two new larger STOVL aircraft carriers, the Queen Elizabeth class, to replace the three Invincible-class carriers. The ships will be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. They will be able to operate up to 40 aircraft in peace time with a tailored group of up to 50, and will have a displacement of 70,600 tonnes. The ships are due to become operational from 2020. Their primary aircraft complement will be made up of F-35B Lightning IIs, and their ship's company will number around 680 with the total complement rising to about 1,600 when the air group is embarked. Defensive weapons will include the Phalanx Close-In Weapons System for anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence; also 30 mm Automated Small Calibre Guns and miniguns for use against fast attack craft. The two ships will be the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy.

Question: What is the British Navy constructing to replace their three Invincible-class carriers?

Question: What will the 2 Queen Elizabeth class ships be named?

Question: When are the 2 Queen Elizabeth class ships due to become operational?

Question: How many tonnes can the Queen Elizabeth class ships displace?

Question: How large will the two Queen Elizabeth ships be?
Passage: The constraints of constructing a flight deck affect the role of a given carrier strongly, as they influence the weight, type, and configuration of the aircraft that may be launched. For example, assisted launch mechanisms are used primarily for heavy aircraft, especially those loaded with air-to-ground weapons. CATOBAR is most commonly used on USN supercarriers as it allows the deployment of heavy jets with full loadouts, especially on ground-attack missions. STOVL is used by other navies because it is cheaper to operate and still provides good deployment capability for fighter aircraft.

Question: Why do the constraints of constructing a flight deck affect the role of a carrier?

Question: What are assisted launch mechanisms primarily used for?

Question: What does CATOBAR allow for?

Question: Why is STOVL used by other navies?
Passage: On the recovery side of the flight deck, the adaptation to the aircraft loadout is mirrored. Non-VTOL or conventional aircraft cannot decelerate on their own, and almost all carriers using them must have arrested-recovery systems (-BAR, e.g. CATOBAR or STOBAR) to recover their aircraft. Aircraft that are landing extend a tailhook that catches on arrestor wires stretched across the deck to bring themselves to a stop in a short distance. Post-WWII Royal Navy research on safer CATOBAR recovery eventually led to universal adoption of a landing area angled off axis to allow aircraft who missed the arresting wires to "bolt" and safely return to flight for another landing attempt rather than crashing into aircraft on the forward deck.

Question: Why do almost all carriers using conventional aircraft have arrested-recovery systems?

Question: What is the purpose of an arrested-recovery system?

Question: What do aircraft do when landing in order to stop on a short distance?

Question: What does a landing area angles off access allow an aircraft to do if if misses the arresting wires?

Question: What can a "bolt" prevent an aircraft from doing?
Passage: Key personnel involved in the flight deck include the shooters, the handler, and the air boss. Shooters are naval aviators or Naval Flight Officers and are responsible for launching aircraft. The handler works just inside the island from the flight deck and is responsible for the movement of aircraft before launching and after recovery. The "air boss" (usually a commander) occupies the top bridge (Primary Flight Control, also called primary or the tower) and has the overall responsibility for controlling launch, recovery and "those aircraft in the air near the ship, and the movement of planes on the flight deck, which itself resembles a well-choreographed ballet." The captain of the ship spends most of his time one level below primary on the Navigation Bridge. Below this is the Flag Bridge, designated for the embarked admiral and his staff.

Question: What are 3 key personnel involved in the flight deck?

Question: What are shooters responsible for?

Question: What is the handler responsible for?

Question: Where does the captain of the ship spend most of his time?

Question: Who is the Flag Bridge area of the ship designated for?
Passage: The disadvantage of the ski-jump is the penalty it exacts on aircraft size, payload, and fuel load (and thus range); heavily laden aircraft can not launch using a ski-jump because their high loaded weight requires either a longer takeoff roll than is possible on a carrier deck, or assistance from a catapult or JATO rocket. For example, the Russian Su-33 is only able to launch from the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov with a minimal armament and fuel load. Another disadvantage is on mixed flight deck operations where helicopters are also present such as a US Landing Helicopter Dock or Landing Helicopter Assault amphibious assault ship a ski jump is not included as this would eliminate one or more helicopter landing areas, this flat deck limits the loading of Harriers but is somewhat mitigated by the longer rolling start provided by a long flight deck compared to many STOVL carriers.

Question: What is the disadvantage of the ski-jump?

Question: What cannot launch using a ski-jump due to their high loaded weight?

Question: What do heavily laden aircraft sometimes require the assistance from?

Question: Why is a ski-jump not included on mixed flight deck operations where helicopters are present?

Question: How is the Russian SU-33 able to launch from the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov?
Passage: One STOBAR carrier: Liaoning was originally built as the 57,000 tonne Soviet Admiral Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag and was later purchased as a stripped hulk by China in 1998 on the pretext of use as a floating casino, then partially rebuilt and towed to China for completion. Liaoning was commissioned on 25 September 2012, and began service for testing and training. On 24 or 25 November 2012, Liaoning successfully launched and recovered several Shenyang J-15 jet fighter aircraft. She is classified as a training ship, intended to allow the navy to practice with carrier usage. On 26 December 2012, the People's Daily reported that it will take four to five years for Liaoning to reach full capacity, mainly due to training and coordination which will take significant amount of time for Chinese PLA Navy to complete as this is the first aircraft carrier in their possession. As it is a training ship, Liaoning is not assigned to any of China's operation fleets.

Question: Why did China purchase the STOBAR carrier Liaoning in 1998?

Question: What is Liaoning classifed as?

Question: What is the Liaoning intended to help the navy practice with?

Question: Why is Liaoning not assigned to any of China's operation fleets?

Question: Why did the Chinese PLA Navy need 4-5 years for Liaoning to reach full capacity?
Passage: India started the construction of a 40,000-tonne, 260-metre-long (850 ft) Vikrant-class aircraft carrier in 2009. The new carrier will operate MiG-29K and naval HAL Tejas aircraft along with the Indian-made helicopter HAL Dhruv. The ship will be powered by four gas-turbine engines and will have a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 kilometres), carrying 160 officers, 1,400 sailors, and 30 aircraft. The carrier is being constructed by Cochin Shipyard. The ship was launched in August 2013 and is scheduled for commissioning in 2018.

Question: Who started construction of a 40,000-tonne Vikrant-class carrier in 2009?

Question: What will power the Indian-made ship?

Question: What will the range of the Indian-made ship be, carrying 160 officers, 1400 sailers, and 30 aircraft?

Question: Who is constructing the Indian-made ship?

Question: When was the Indian-made ship launched?
Passage: Carriers have evolved since their inception in the early twentieth century from wooden vessels used to deploy balloons to nuclear-powered warships that carry dozens of aircraft, including fighter jets and helicopters. As of 3 March 2016, there are thirty-seven active aircraft carriers in the world within twelve navies. The United States Navy has 10 large nuclear-powered carriers (known as supercarriers, carrying up to 90 aircraft each), the largest carriers in the world; the total deckspace is over twice that of all other nations' combined. As well as the supercarrier fleet, the US Navy has nine amphibious assault ships used primarily for helicopters (sometimes called helicopter carriers); these can also carry up to 25 fighter jets, and in some cases, are as large as some other nations' fixed-wing carriers.

Question: What were carriers used for in the early 20th century?

Question: As of 3/3/2016, how many active aircraft carriers are there worldwide?

Question: What is another name for the 10 large nuclear-powered carriers operated by the U.S. Navy?

Question: How many aircraft can supercarriers carry?

Question: Who owns the largest carriers in the world?
Passage: There is no single definition of an "aircraft carrier", and modern navies use several variants of the type. These variants are sometimes categorized as sub-types of aircraft carriers, and sometimes as distinct types of naval aviation-capable ships. Aircraft carriers may be classified according to the type of aircraft they carry and their operational assignments. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, former head of the Royal Navy, has said that "To put it simply, countries that aspire to strategic international influence have aircraft carriers".

Question: What is the definition of an "aircraft carrier"?

Question: How may aircraft carriers be classified?

Question: Who is Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope?

Question: Who said, "countries that aspire to strategic international influence have aircraft carriers"?
Passage: The aircraft carrier dramatically changed naval combat in World War II, because air power was becoming a significant factor in warfare. The advent of aircraft as focal weapons was driven by the superior range, flexibility and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft. They had higher range and precision than naval guns, making them highly effective. The versatility of the carrier was demonstrated in November 1940 when HMS Illustrious launched a long-range strike on the Italian fleet at their base in Taranto, signalling the beginning of the effective and highly mobile aircraft strikes. This operation incapacitated three of the six battleships at a cost of two torpedo bombers. World War II in the Pacific Ocean involved clashes between aircraft carrier fleets. The 1941 Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a clear illustration of the power projection capability afforded by a large force of modern carriers. Concentrating six carriers in a single unit turned naval history about, as no other nation had fielded anything comparable. However, the vulnerability of carriers compared to traditional battleships when forced into a gun-range encounter was quickly illustrated by the sinking of HMS Glorious by German battleships during the Norwegian campaign in 1940.

Question: What dramatically changed naval combat in World War II?

Question: What drove the advent of carrier-launched aircraft as focal weapons?

Question: Why were carrier-launched aircraft more effective than naval guns?

Question: What was signalled in 1940 when HMS Illustrious launched an strike on an Italian fleet?

Question: What event showed the vulnerability of carriers when forced into gun-range enounters?
Passage: The development of flattop vessels produced the first large fleet ships. In 1918, HMS Argus became the world's first carrier capable of launching and recovering naval aircraft. As a result of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, which limited the construction of new heavy surface combat ships, most early aircraft carriers were conversions of ships that were laid down (or had served) as different ship types: cargo ships, cruisers, battlecruisers, or battleships. These conversions gave rise to the Lexington-class aircraft carriers (1927), Akagi and Courageous class. Specialist carrier evolution was well underway, with several navies ordering and building warships that were purposefully designed to function as aircraft carriers by the mid-1920s, resulting in the commissioning of ships such as Hōshō (1922), HMS Hermes (1924), and Béarn (1927). During World War II, these ships would become known as fleet carriers.[citation needed]

Question: What develpment produced the first large fleet ships?

Question: What was the world's first carrier capable of launching and recovering naval aircraft?

Question: What did the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 limit?

Question: What caused early aircraft carriers to be made up of conversions of ships that were previously cargo ships, cruisers or battlecruisers?

Question: What type of aircraft carriers did these ship conversions give rise to in 1927?
Passage: In December 2009, then Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma said at his maiden navy week press conference that concepts currently being examined by the Directorate of Naval Design for the second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-2), are for a conventionally powered carrier displacing over 50,000 tons and equipped with steam catapults (rather than the ski-jump on the Gorshkov/Vikramaditya and the IAC) to launch fourth-generation aircraft. Later on in August 2013 Vice Admiral RK Dhowan, while talking about the detailed study underway on the IAC-II project, said that nuclear propulsion was also being considered. The navy also evaluated the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), which is being used by the US Navy in their latest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers. General Atomics, the developer of the EMALS, was cleared by the US government to give a technical demonstration to Indian Navy officers, who were impressed by the new capabilities of the system. The EMALS enables launching varied aircraft including unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV). The aim is to have a total of three aircraft carriers in service, with two fully operational carriers and the third in refit.

Question: What does EMALS stand for?

Question: Who developed EMALS?

Question: What do EMALS enable the launching of?

Question: Who was impressed by the demonstration of EMALS by General Atomics?

Question: How many in-service aircraft carriers are aimed for with EMALS?
Passage: In August 2013, a launching ceremony for Japan's largest military ship since World War II was held in Yokohama. The 820-foot-long (250 m), 19,500-ton flattop Izumo was deployed in March 2015. The ship is able to carry up to 14 helicopters; however, only seven ASW helicopters and two SAR helicopters were planned for the initial aircraft complement. For other operations, 400 troops and fifty 3.5 t trucks (or equivalent equipment) can also be carried. The flight deck has five helicopter landing spots that allow simultaneous landings or take-offs. The ship is equipped with two Phalanx CIWS and two SeaRAM for its defense. The destroyers of this class were initially intended to replace the two ships of the Shirane class, which were originally scheduled to begin decommissioning in FY2014.

Question: What was the August 2013 launching ceremony in Yokohama held for?

Question: How many helicopters can simultaneously land on Japan's largest military ship?

Question: How long is Japan's largest military ship?

Question: How many troops can Japan's largest military ship carry?

Question: How much does Japan's largest military ship weigh?
Passage: The current US fleet of Nimitz-class carriers will be followed into service (and in some cases replaced) by the ten-ship Gerald R. Ford class. It is expected that the ships will be more automated in an effort to reduce the amount of funding required to staff, maintain and operate its supercarriers. The main new features are implementation of Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) (which replace the old steam catapults) and unmanned aerial vehicles. With the deactivation of USS Enterprise in December 2012 (decommissioning scheduled for 2016), the U.S. fleet comprises 10 active supercarriers. On 24 July 2007, the House Armed Services Seapower subcommittee recommended seven or eight new carriers (one every four years). However, the debate has deepened over budgeting for the $12–14.5 billion (plus $12 billion for development and research) for the 100,000 ton Gerald R. Ford-class carrier (estimated service 2016) compared to the smaller $2 billion 45,000 ton America-class amphibious assault ships able to deploy squadrons of F-35B of which one is already active, another is under construction and nine more are planned.

Question: What will some of the current US fleet of Nimitz-class carriers be replaced with?

Question: Which feature of the new ships will replace the old steam catapults?

Question: When is the USS Enterprise scheduled to be decommissioned?

Question: How much does the Gerald R. Ford-class carrier weigh?

Question: How much does the America-class amphibious assault ship weigh?