Saipan-class aircraft carrier

USS Saipan CVL-48
USS Saipan
Class overview
BuildersNew York Shipbuilding Corporation
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byIndependence class
Succeeded byNone
Built1944
In commission1946–70
Completed2
Retired2
General characteristics
TypeLight aircraft carrier
Displacement
  • 14,500 (standard)
  • 19,000 tons (full load)
Length
  • 664 ft (202 m) wl
  • 683 ft 6 in (208.33 m) oa
  • 600 ft (180 m) (fd)
Beam
  • 76.8 ft (23.4 m) (waterline)
  • 115 ft (35 m) (overall)
Draft28 ft (8.5 m)
Propulsiongeared steam turbines producing 120,000 horsepower turning four propellers
Speed33 knots (61 km/h)
Complement1,700+ officers and men
Armament
Aircraft carried

The Saipan-class aircraft carriers were a class of two light carriers Saipan (CVL-48) and Wright (CVL-49) built for the United States Navy during World War II. Like the nine Independence-class light carriers, they were based on cruiser hulls. However, they differed from the earlier light carriers in that they were built from the keel up as carriers, and were based on heavy rather than light cruiser hulls. Completed too late for the war, they served as carriers until the mid-1950s, then were converted into a command ship (Wright) and a major communications relay ship (Saipan) in the late 1950s, and served in those roles until 1970. They were both scrapped in 1980.