The bands are presented as rough capability ranges rather than fixed legal definitions. An escort carrier carries up to about twenty-four aircraft, while a light carrier extends to roughly fifty or fifty-four. Fleet-carrier capacity then reaches about eighty to eighty-six aircraft, with a modern supercarrier above that level. The scheme keeps 'supercarrier' from becoming merely another label for any fleet carrier and makes embarked air power the central comparison.
Notable Point · 1:54:28-1:56:19
A practical carrier classification by air-group size
Approximate air-group bands separate escort, light, fleet, and supercarriers by distinct levels of aviation capability.