A Malta-class aircraft carrier at sea.
The Malta-class aircraft carriers were a class of four large fleet aircraft carriers in service with the Royal Navy from 1944. Originally planned as a class of ten ships, the Maltas were intended to serve as a replacement for the Implacable-class. Incorporating lessons learned since 1941, they proved more expensive and less versatile than their predecessors, and only four Maltas were completed before the end of World War II when the remaining six were cancelled. The Malta-class was 968 feet (295.05 meters) in length and had a beam of 116 feet (35.36 meters). The last Malta-class carrier was decommissioned in 1994.[1]
Specifications[]
- Type: Fleet Carrier
- Service Period: 1944-1994
- Characteristics:
- Length (Overall): 968 feet (295.05 meters); Waterline: 918 feet (279.18 meters)
- Beam (Waterline): 116 feet (35.36 meters)
- Beam (Flight Deck): 132 feet (40.23 meters)
- Draft: 35 feet (10.67 meters)
- Displacement: 46,900 tons (Standard); 58,000 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 3,500
- Propulsion: 8 x boilers, 4 x geared steam turbines, 4 x shafts, 220,000 shp (165,000 kW)
- Range: 15,000 nautical miles (27,780 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/h)
- Speed: 33.25 knots (61.58 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Type 960 Early Warning RDF
- Type 982 Intercept RDF
- Type 983 Height Finding RDF
- Type 293M Target Indication RDF
- Armament:
- 16 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.VII dual purpose naval guns (8x2)
- 56 x Bofors 40mm/56-caliber anti-aircraft guns (8x6, 8x1)
- Armour:
- Belt: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
- Deck: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
- Bulkheads: 2-4 inches (50.8-101.6 mm)
- Aircraft Carrier 108 (Original Configuration); 60-65 (Final Configuration)
Unit Run[]
- HMS Malta (R47)
- HMS Gibraltar (R48)
- HMS New Zealand (R49)
- HMS Africa (R50)
- HMS Commonwealth (R51) - cancelled
- HMS Hindustan (R52) - cancelled
- HMS Dominion (R53) - cancelled
- HMS Britannia (R54) - cancelled
- HMS Hibernia (R55) - cancelled
- HMS Caledonia (R56) - cancelled
Fate[]
| Name | Hull Number | Builder | Ordered | Laid Down | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Malta | R47 | John Brown & Co. | 27 October 1942 | 20 March 1944 | 10 September 1944 | 11 April 1994 | Museum ship at Malta |
| HMS Gibraltar | R48 | Vickers-Armstrong | 1 December 1943 | 29 April 1945 | 27 October 1945 | 11 September 1992 | Broken up at Faslane, 1996 |
| HMS New Zealand | R49 | Cammell Laird, Birkenhead | 10 July 1944 | 2 April 1946 | 1 October 1947 | 26 April 1990 | Broken up at Faslane, 2000 |
| HMS Africa | R50 | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co | 11 January 1943 | 28 March 1945 | 27 September 1946 | 30 September 1977 | Broken up at Faslane, 1989 |
| HMS Commonwealth | R51 | Cancelled, 15 October 1945 | |||||
| HMS Hindustan | R52 | ||||||
| HMS Dominion | R53 | ||||||
| HMS Britannia | R54 | Cancelled, 13 December 1945 | |||||
| HMS Hibernia | R55 | ||||||
| HMS Caledonia | R56 | ||||||