Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:32:06-5:32:40

Why British carriers use ski jumps while US LHDs stay flat

Deck geometry follows the ship's primary mission: a carrier can trade deck area for aircraft performance, while an LHD protects helicopter operating space.

Aircraft CarriersAmphibious Assault ShipsF-35BFlight Deck OperationsNaval AviationSki Jumps
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Question

Why do British F-35B carriers have ski jumps while US LHDs launch the same aircraft from flat decks?

Short answer

The British ships are dedicated carriers, whereas US LHDs preserve maximum helicopter space for their primary amphibious mission.

Notes

A US LHD is primarily an amphibious ship, so helicopter operating space has high priority. A ski jump occupies part of the deck that could otherwise support those operations. British carriers can accept that trade because dedicated carrier missions include air defence and strike as well as anti-submarine operations. Embarking the same F-35B aircraft therefore does not make the ships' overall deck requirements identical.