Typically, only about half of the carrier’s aircraft remain below deck on the carrier deck. The rest will be parked on the flight deck itself.
Storing aircraft aboard an aircraft carrier is often made to look rather simple and routine in films and television. In reality, storing dozens of aircraft requires a carefully choreographed feat of engineering and logistics. Space allotted for aircraft is divided between the flight deck and a cavernous hangar deck below measuring three-stories high, serving as a garage and staging ground of sorts. How aircraft are stored between the flight deck and hangar deck, and how they are moved back and forth between the two, is absolutely critical to combat readiness.
How an Aircraft Carrier Really Works
When aircraft are parked on the hangar deck inside the aircraft carrier, their wings are folded tightly, which reduces the aircraft’s footprint by as much as half. This is why modern fighters like the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II are designed with folding wings—even though the folding mechanism adds complexity and weight to the aircraft. Helicopters like the Sikorsky MH-60 Seahawk likewise have foldable tails and rotors. Yet even with the folding wings and tails and rotors, each aircraft takes up as much space as a small apartment, making for an absolute jigsaw of storage complexity below deck.
To move aircraft between hangar deck and flight deck are enormous elevators. These massive, tennis court-sized steel platforms can be seen in many movies focusing on aircraft carriers—perhaps most prominently in Top Gun (set against a sunset, Tony Scott-style). Naturally, aircraft that are due to be launched are moved up to the flight deck, where the aircraft is staged hours before launching. Meanwhile, below in the hangar deck, aircraft that are undergoing repair or maintenance remain, arranged in “packs,” which are rows of aircraft grouped according to mission set or readiness. To move aircraft around within a deck, tugs or “tow tractors” are used—relatively low-tech vehicles that offer precision movement.
How Many Aircraft Can an Aircraft Carrier Carry?
The hangar deck, while cavernous, is too small to store all of the carrier’s aircraft at once. Only around two-thirds of the aircraft can be stored simultaneously—though doing so would clog the workspace and hamper access. More typically, only about half of the carrier’s aircraft remain below deck on the carrier deck; the rest will be parked on the flight deck itself, wings folded and often strapped down to withstand rough seas. When parked on the flight deck, each jet is tied down with heavy chains and wheel chocks. Even a gentle roll—quite common at sea—could send a multi-ton F/A-18 Hornet or F-35C careening into its neighbor, or straight into the ocean. During America’s recent air campaign against the Houthis, at least one F/A-18 was lost in this manner after the carrier made an emergency turn.
As one might imagine, the greatest difficulty of aircraft storage at sea is congestion. During high-tempo flight operations like a combat sortie, the two decks can begin to resemble a traffic jam or various aircraft and support vehicles. The entire cycle depends upon careful choreography; a single disabled aircraft can throw off the entire operation, delaying launches and recoveries.
Safety is always front of mind for aircraft technicians. Between the aircraft operations, the jet fuel, the missiles and bombs, the rough sea and high winds, a lot can go wrong. Modern carriers have fire suppression systems while personnel practice strict ordnance-handling protocols and unyielding deck discipline. Still, inherent risks remain.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
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