[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

050925-N-0413R-043 Indian Ocean (Sept. 25, 2005) – The Indian aircraft carrier CVH Viraat (R 22) underway in the Indian Ocean as part of exercise Malabar 2005. The exercise is designed to increase interoperability between the two navies while enhancing the cooperative security relationship between India and the United States. The at-sea exercise includes maritime interdiction, surface events, sub-surface, air events and personnel exchanges. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Shannon E. Renfroe (RELEASED)

050927-N-3312P-001 Norfolk, Va. (Sept. 27, 2005) - The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Scranton (SSN 756) returns to Naval Station Norfolk after a regularly scheduled deployment. Scranton deployed in support of the Kearsarge Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG), participating in two joint/multi-national exercises. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Journalist Mark O. Piggott (RELEASED)

050925-N-2838C-004 Mediterranean Sea (Sept. 25, 2005) - Four F-14D Tomcats prepare to enter the "break" prior to landing aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during flight operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently underway on a regularly scheduled deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Michael D. Cole (RELEASED)

[Mama_Bear]

Thanks for bringing the cool military photos. What an awesome military we have!

[El Gato]

The Indian aircraft carrier CVH Viraat

Ex HMS Hermes. The Indians once operated more conventional CTOL carriers. Ther Hermes/Viraat was a CTOL carrier before being refit as a "Harrier Carrier" in British service, complete with ski ramp.She was first laid down in 1944.

US Navy/USMC looked into, and conducted trials of ski ramps, but for reasons unknown to me, did not choose to use them. The advantage is that the aircraft can take off at higher gross weight, meaning more fuel and/or bombs, than vertical takeoff allows. USS Wasp and USS Tarawa class are larger and we don't even consider them "carriers", but rather Amphibious Assault Ships. Of course they contain lots of facilities for embarking Marines that the Heremes/Viraat class does not have or need.

The Viraat is the only Indian carrier, although they keep trying to aquire another, while we have 7 Wasp class, 5 Tarawa class, plus 12? or so "Big Deck" CTOL carriers.

Where are the Carriers

Where are the Amphibious Ready Groups?