5 most disappointing aircraft carriers in the navy of countries

Aircraft carriers are often seen as symbols of naval power and national pride. However, many of them have repeatedly encountered problems or have been unable to complete their missions, according toBusiness Insider.

USS Gerald R. Ford (USA)

As America's first newly designed aircraft carrier in 40 years, USS Gerald R. Ford is equipped with many new technologies and operating systems, helping to increase the number of aircraft launches and landings, reduce the workload of human workers and increase the ability to survive threats.

With a full displacement of 100,000 tons, the USS Gerald R. Ford is also the world's largest aircraft carrier. It was handed over to the US Navy in May 2017 for testing, and is expected to reach basic combat readiness by 2020. However, a series of technical errors have prevented this $13 billion super aircraft carrier from being completed, causing the development project to increase in price and continuously fall behind schedule.

USS Gerald R. Ford had to return to port in April 2017 and January 2018 due to engine failures, causing many test contents to be canceled. The ship's advanced electromagnetic launch system (EMALS) and arresting cables were also not completed, causing the project to be further delayed.

HTMS Chakri Naruebet (Thailand)

HTMS Chakri Naruebet is the flagship of the Royal Thai Navy, and is among the smallest modern aircraft carriers in the world. With a length of 182 m and a displacement of only 11,500 tons, Chakri Naruebet has a smaller displacement than China's Type-055 heavy destroyer.

Launched in 1996, HTMS Chakri Naruebet is tasked with patrolling Thailand's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, as well as conducting search and rescue operations.

In the early 2000s, the main aircraft of the air group on board HTMS Chakri Naruebet were British-made AV-8A fighters. However, they quickly reached the end of their service life and were decommissioned, leaving the air group on board Chakri Naruebet without any fighter aircraft in service.

Chakri Naruebet now functions as a helicopter carrier, but it has largely ceased to be a naval vessel. The ship and its SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters have rarely left the deepwater port of Chak Samet for operations in recent years.

Thai media calls HTMS Chakri Naruebet the "$336 million yacht" or "Thai-tanic", because it was modified to have spacious living space for Thai royal family members on rare occasions at sea.

Admiral Kuznetsov (Russia)

Admiral Kuznetsov is the only aircraft carrier currently in service with the Russian navy, but after a series of problems that arose during operation, the ship is currently in dock for a long period of overhaul and upgrade.

"The biggest problem with Admiral Kuznetsov is the propulsion system. It is unreliable," said expert Dmitry Gorenburg of the US Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

The boiler is the heart of the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier, providing the ship's propulsion and powering all systems on board. However, this is also one of the weakest points on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, as the old boiler often has problems causing engine failure, forcing the Russian navy to deploy tugboats on standby to support the aircraft carrier.

A designer said the Kuznetsov’s old boilers were prone to problems due to a series of design flaws, as well as a lack of equipment on board. Sailors often had to use seawater during boiler maintenance, instead of fresh water as required because there was no large-scale desalination equipment.

During the war in Syria, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov also suffered two broken arresting cables, causing the Russian naval air force to lose a Su-33 heavy fighter and a MiG-29K multi-role fighter. The aircraft carrier's air group was then forced to move to the Hmeymim base to wait for the ship's arresting cable system to be repaired.

The Kuznetsov is expected to have all its old boilers replaced with Russian-made KVG-4 models with an estimated lifespan of over 25 years, to increase the ship's reliability. However, with this overhaul, the Admiral Kuznetsov will not be able to leave the shipyard before 2021.

Liaoning (China)

The Liaoning aircraft carrier was once considered a symbol of China's growing naval power. However, it suffered a serious problem with its transmission system, causing the ship to become paralyzed during a sea trial.

An article published in the military section of Sina in October 2014 said that the boiler on the Liaoning had leaked, causing heat to flood the ship's engine compartment and short-circuit the electrical system.

The Liaoning aircraft carrier was paralyzed, and the sailors in the engine compartment were urgently evacuated. Mechanical and electrical engineers had to risk their lives to get into the engine compartment to fix the problem and bring the ship back to Dalian port.

Experts say this may be the reason why the Chinese navy only uses the Liaoning for training and testing missions while it researches and develops a more modern domestic aircraft carrier model.

HMAS Canberra (Australia)

Commissioned in 2014, HMAS Canberra is one of two helicopter carriers of the Australian Navy.

The ship had to return to port in March 2017 after experiencing problems with its propulsion system, including an oil leak caused by a defect in the engine insulation. Engineers initially estimated that HMAS Canberra would only be out of port for 7-10 days to fix the problem, but in reality, the ship was grounded for months before it could return to service.

The Australian navy's other helicopter carrier, HMAS Adelaide, also suffered a similar incident, leading officials to believe that both warships share design flaws that could seriously affect their future combat capabilities.