The Education Network Best Ten List Articles
People have always wanted to build things larger, faster, and stronger than what they had before; the military world is no exception to this trend. Since ancient times, having a strong and well-organized navy has been crucial for any world power to maintain its position.
As a result, thousands of powerful battleships have been built by different countries over the centuries. Ever wonder what some of the largest warships in the world are?
In today’s post, we will show you some of the largest battleships and biggest warships in the world. From legendary British and Japanese warships to the iconic USS Enterprise, here are the top 10 Largest Warships In History.
#10 – Kiev Class (URSS)
Also known as Project 1143 or the Krechyet Class, the Kiev Class aircraft carriers were the first class of fixed-wing aircraft carriers built in the Soviet Union.
Out of the 4 Kiev Class ships that were completed, 1 was scrapped, 2 are out of service and 1, the Admiral Gorshkov was sold to the Indian Navy where it is still in service.
Source: Soviet Warships 1945 to Present via Wikipedia, image: https://commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
#9 – Queen Elizabeth Class (UK)
The Queen Elizabeth Class is a class of 2 aircraft carriers currently under construction and being outfitted for the Royal Navy. The first, HMS Queen Elizabeth, will be ready for use in 2017, and the second, HMS Prince of Wales, is scheduled to be ready in 2020. Measuring 284 m (931 ft) long, the vessels have a displacement of approximately 70,600 tons.
#8 – Admiral Kuznetsov Class (URSS)
The Kuznetsov class aircraft carriers were the last class of aircraft carriers built in the Soviet Navy. The class consists of 2 ships – Admiral Kuznetsov (readied in 1990 and serving today in the Russian Navy) and Liaoning (sold to China, which finally readied the ship for use in 2012). The ships have a total length of staggering 302 m (990 ft).
Watch below a documentary about Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
#7 – Midway Class (US)
The Midway Class aircraft carrier was one of the longest-serving aircraft carrier designs in history. First commissioned in 1945, the lead ship of the class, USS Midway, was not taken out of service until 1992, shortly after service in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was decommissioned in 1977 and the third ship USS Coral Sea was decommissioned in 1990.
#6 – USS John F. Kennedy (US)
Nicknamed the Big John, the USS John F. Kennedy is the only ship of her class and the last conventionally powered carrier built for the US Navy. An all-purpose carrier with a total length of 320 m (1,052 ft), the ship was even capable of anti-submarine warfare.
#5 – Forrestal Class (US)
The Forrestal class aircraft carriers were 4 aircraft carriers (Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger, and Independence) designed and built for the US Navy in the 1950s.
It was the first class of supercarriers, combining high tonnage, elevators, and an angled deck. The ships were 325 m (1,066 ft) long and had a displacement of 60,000 tons.
#4 – Kitty Hawk Class (US)
Source: Wikipedia, image: https://zh.wikipedia.org (public domain)
The Kitty Hawk class supercarriers of the US Navy were an improvement on the Forrestal Class vessels (see Nr. 5). The Kitty Hawk Class includes 3 vessels (Kitty Hawk, Constellation, and America) all of which were built in the 1960s. Measuring 327 m (1,073 ft) long, all 3 warships are now out of service.
#3 – Nimitz Class (US)
Source: The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet via Wikipedia, image: commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
The Nimitz Class supercarriers are a class of 10 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the US Navy. With an overall length of 1,092 ft (333 m) and full-load weight of over 100,000 long tons, they have been the largest warships built and in service. The ships have participated in many battles and operations across the world, including Operation Eagle Claw in Iran, the Gulf War, and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Watch below a documentary about Nimitz Class supercarrier if you want to find out more:
#2 – Gerald R. Ford Class (US)
Source: gao.gov via Wikipedia, image: commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
The Gerald R. Ford Class is a class of supercarriers being built to replace some of the existing Nimitz Class carriers. The new vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz carriers but introduce new technologies such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.
Gerald R. Ford Class warships will also be slightly bigger than Nimitz, coming in at a total length of 337 m (1,106 ft).
#1 – USS Enterprise (US)
Source: web.archive.org, image: commons.wikimedia.org (public domain)
The world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise is (at 342 m or 1,123 ft) the longest and possibly also most famous naval vessel ever built.
Having served for 51 consecutive years, she is also the longest-serving US warship. Used in numerous battles and wars including the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Korean War etc., USS Enterprise became one of the most well-known battleships. It also appeared in several movies such as Top Gun and Star Trek. The largest American battleship, USS Enterprise is one of the world’s top 10 destroyers.
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No love anywhere for the unbelieveable Japanese battleships of WW2?
Empire of Japan warships Yamato and Musashi both tipped the scales at 72.000 tons, while all other WW2-era battlewagons weighed in at only about 45,000 tons. Oh — the Yamato-Class boats blasted an 18-inch projectile that no other warship in the world could match for destructive power.
I guess we’re going to forget about those supreme vessels for this Top 10 list?