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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →A Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier can carry up to 36 F-35B Lightning fighter jets, according to the Royal Navy. The often-quoted figure of 72 is the class’s maximum total aircraft complement, including helicopters—not 72 fighter jets.
How many fighter jets can a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier carry?
The Royal Navy’s class specification lists a maximum of 36 F-35B jets. It also says the carriers can carry up to 72 aircraft overall, including helicopters used by the UK armed forces. Those are different measures: 36 is the stated fighter maximum; 72 is the broader aircraft total. Royal Navy: Queen Elizabeth Class
Why do Royal Navy pages give different aircraft totals?
The figures refer to different scopes and should not be treated as one uniform capacity claim. The class page gives the class-level maximum, while individual ship profiles describe their ships or a particular embarked combination.
| Source and scope | Published figure |
|---|---|
| Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class specification | Up to 72 aircraft overall, including up to 36 F-35B fighters. |
| HMS Queen Elizabeth ship profile | Up to 40 aircraft. The profile does not break that total down by aircraft type. Royal Navy: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) |
| HMS Prince of Wales ship profile | An embarked combination of 36 F-35B jets and four Merlin helicopters. Royal Navy: HMS Prince of Wales (R09) |
These descriptions do not establish that every ship routinely embarks its maximum, or that each profile uses the same counting basis. For the direct question about the class’s fighter capacity, the published answer remains up to 36 F-35Bs.
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How many jets are actually aboard on a deployment?
Operational air groups can be smaller than a stated maximum. In a report dated 6 November 2025, the Royal Navy said HMS Prince of Wales carried 24 British F-35 jets during a Mediterranean deployment. That is a dated example of an embarked group, not a replacement for the class’s maximum capacity. Royal Navy: 24 F-35s arrive aboard HMS Prince of Wales for a Mediterranean exercise
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are 72 sorties a day the same as 72 aircraft?
No. The Royal Navy says a Queen Elizabeth-class carrier can fly up to 72 fast-jet sorties per day, with a higher rate possible for limited periods. A sortie is a flight or mission; it is not an additional aircraft carried aboard. Royal Navy: Queen Elizabeth Class
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