How much does an aircraft carrier cost?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. Very Very Very few countries have an aircraft carrier.

^it true, they're very expansive to operate and there's no point of having one if u dont have any good planes(and not every plane can land on an aircraft carrier).

http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/i...other/911-2.jpg

Thailand has one aircraft carrier.

Thailand
Chakri Nareubet VSTOL Aircraft Carrier
Number Name Homeport Status Air Wing Photos
911 Chakri Nareubet Sattahip Reduced Operating Status 6 AV-8S + 4 S-70B helos Photo

Listed By Fleet Strength

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United States of America
United Kingdom
France
Russia
Brazil
Italy
India
Spain
Thailand
Japan
Chile
China
Peru
Listed Alphabetically

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Brazil
Chile
China
France
India
Italy
Japan
Peru
Russia
Spain
Thailand
United Kingdom
United States of America

What? France has a better navy than Russia???? I though Russia is still pretty powerful

^Russia only has a strong nuclear force. Her conventional forces are very rusty.

I hear that Thailand could barely keep up with the cost of operationg a carrier. I could be wrong.

In myopinon, aircraft carriers are for aerial operations far far away from home bases. Since Vietnam navy and air force operate mainly in Indochina, in the South Sea and the adjacent waters, they do not really need aircraft carriers. There's no point to waste money to such warfare luxuries when not necessary.

We all know that Thailand have an aircraft carrier. But aircraft carrier are vunerable, and it seems that the Thai navy doesn't have enough power to protect it in case of war. It only play a symbolic role, I guess, so that they can boast that their navy is strong... Please correct me if I am wrong.

A small carrier costs about 1 bn USD (incl Tax!), this, I think, is affordable.

But the running cost is probably shocking 'cos you'd need all kinds of support and logistics.

Don't know about the Thai Navy, but do they have 10-20 fighters on board? Destroyers, frigates, cruisers, tankers, submarimes, etc. to accompany their carrier?

I think the Navy is such an expensive branch of the military. A few torpedoes or bombs can destroy a ship that is worth so much money

fu-k an aircraft carrier, the VietNamese navy have weapons that can destroy one.

HTMS Chakri Nareubet

The ship was largely inactive due to a shortage of funds after the Asian financial crisis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTMS_Chakri_Nareubet