The aircraft carrier is one of modern maritime warfare’s most important military equipment. As a huge and complex weapon system, the speed of the aircraft carrier has always been a topic of concern.
How many knots is the speed of an aircraft carrier? What speed is equivalent to the land vehicle? This article explores these questions.
First of all, it needs to be clear that the speed of an aircraft carrier is measured in knots, which is the English abbreviation knots (kt) in knots per hour. A knot equals a speed of 1852 meters per hour, which can also be approximately equal to 1.852 kilometers per hour.
The speed of modern aircraft carriers is usually around 30 knots, while the top speed can reach about 40 knots. For example, the maximum speed of the US Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can reach 30-35 knots, the maximum speed of the British Queen-class aircraft carrier is about 30 knots, and the two Chinese aircraft carriers also reached more than 30 knots in the 2018 test Knot speed.
These numbers may still be abstract and not easily comparable. We can convert the speed of the aircraft carrier to the speed of land vehicles for comparison.
Taking cars as an example, the top speed of a conventional car on the highway is about 120 km/h. At a speed of 30 knots per hour, this equates to 54.8 m/s, or 195.7 km/h. This means that the speed of the aircraft carrier far exceeds the speed of a conventional car on the highway.
Taking trains as an example, the top speed of high-speed trains is about 350 km/h. This equates to 161.3 m/s, or 577.8 km/h, at 30 knots per hour. Obviously, the speed of an aircraft carrier still cannot be compared with a high-speed train.
Finally, to compare jet aircraft, the top speed of an F-16 fighter jet is about 2120 km/h. This equates to 97.2 m/s, or 349.9 km/h, at 30 knots per hour. Obviously, the speed of an aircraft carrier cannot reach the speed of a jet fighter.
All in all, an aircraft carrier travels at 30 knots, which is equivalent to 195.7 km/h for a car on land, 577.8 km/h for a train, and 349.9 km/h for a jet-speed flight. Through these comparisons, we can better understand the speed of the carrier.
It should be emphasized that the speed of an aircraft carrier is only part of its maritime combat capabilities. In addition to speed, an aircraft carrier needs to have other positive factors, such as advantages in maneuverability, weapon systems and military technology, to enhance its combat capabilities at sea.
