World's 10 aircraft carriers in service today

New Delhi: Aircraft carriers are the backbone of any Navy and despite its immense cost, the Navy believes there is no replacement of it. Typically traveling in battle groups, these vessels operate in international waters without needing permission for landing or overflight rights. But there is another school of thought that questions the wisdom of floating something that expensive within range of an attack that may send it to the bottom of the sea. Despite all these, aircraft carriers are likely here to stay. LEt's have a look at 10 aicraft carriers in service today: 1. The INS Viraat, India India purchased the HMS Hermes from England in 1986, renaming it the INS Viraat after a series of upgrades and modifications. The Viraat has been refitted to last for another 20 years while India builds its own aircraft carriers. As the Hermes, the ship was the Royal Navy Flagship during the 1982 Falklands war. It carries up to 30 aircraft, including the Sea Harrier and the Sea King 2. The Cavour, Italy Launched in 2004, the Cavour's first mission was an aid mission to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. The Cavour will be eventually be stocked with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, replacing the aging Harriers. It has room for ten F-35Bs in the hanger and six on the deck. The F-35B is the version of the jet with a short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. It carries 20-30 aircraft, including the Harrier combat jet. 3. The Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia While the full name — Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov — is a bit of a mouthful, this ship is one of the largest carriers and the flagship of the Russian Navy. Originally launched in 1985, the Kuznetsov wasn't fully operational until 1995 after the fall of the Soviet Union. It has never fought in combat, but has engaged in frequent exercises. Her sister ship, the Varyag, was never commissioned and sold to China as a hulk by Ukraine. It carries 41-53 aircraft. 14 Su-33 fighters, 28 MiG-29K fighters (upcoming), 15 Ka-27 helicopters. 4. The HMS Illustrious, UK Illustrious, affectionately called "Lusty" by those serving on her, entered service just after the end of the Falklands War in 1982, and served there as an air station in the postwar years. She was deployed to Bosnia and Iraq in the 1990s, but was undergoing an extensive re-fit during the initial phases of the Iraq War. She'll be replaced once the HMS Queen Elizabeth is commissioned in 2016. Until 2011, 12 Harrier II Fighter Jets and 10 Sea King ASaC helicopters 5. The Charles de Gaulle, France The Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier commissioned in May 2001. While originally plagued with production issues — there was a recession at the beginning of construction, allegations of British spying in the middle, and technical issues toward the end — the carrier was deployed to the Indian Ocean during Operation Enduring Freedom and the initial liberation of Afghanistan. The de Gaulle carried out air strikes against believed al Qaeda targets and conducted combat air-patrols with the U.S. Navy off the coast of Pakistan. After a series of upgrades, the de Gaulle enforced the United Nations no-fly zone over Libya in 2011. The fleet flew 1,350 sorties during that war. It carries 20-40 aircraft, up to 800 commandos, 500 rounds of ammunition. 6. The USS Enterprise, US The Enterprise was the United State's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and set the pace for the future of Carriers in the U.S. It took 60,923 tons of steel to build and was one of the ships involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Enterprise was one of the first ships to respond to the declaration of Operation Enduring Freedom in Fall of 2001, expending 800,000 pounds of ordnance. The ship will be decommissioned at the end of 2012 as the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers enter service. It carries up to 90 aircraft. 7. USS Theodore Roosevelt, US The USS Theodore Roosevelt was commissioned in 1986. It is based at the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Maximum speed is at more than 30 knots, with unlimited distance and range of 25 years. It has a complement of 3,200 in the ship's company and 2,480 for its air wing. It is armed with three NSSMS Sea Sparrows, three Phalanx CIWS and 10 .50-caliber mounted machine guns. It has a double hull design and can carry up to 90 aircrafts. 8. USS George Washington, US The USS George Washington was commissioned in 1992. Its homeport is at the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. Maximum speed is at more than 30 knots, with unlimited distance and range of 25 years. It has a complement of 3,200 in the ship's company and 2,480 for its air wing. It carries two Mk57 Sea Sparrows, two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe missiles and three Phalanx CIWS. It can carry up to 90 aircrafts. 9. USS George H.W. Bush, US The USS George H.W. Bush was commissioned in 2009. It calls Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as its home. It has a top speed of more than 30 knots, with unlimited distance and range of between 20 to 25 years. It is armed with two Mk29 ESSM launchers, two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe missiles and up to four Phalanx CIWS. It is fortified with 64 millimeters of Kevlar armor over its important spaces. It can also carry up to 90 aircrafts. 10. USS Ronald Reagan, US The USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in 2003. Its homeport is at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego in California. The vessel has a top speed of more than 30 knots and is armed with two Mk29 Sea Sparrows and two RIM-116 Rolling Airframe missiles. It can carry up to 90 fixed wings and helicopters. It is nicknamed the Gipper, after the popular character that Ronald Reagan played in the movies.