▁landing ▁hel ic opter ▁do cks , ▁landing ▁platform ▁do cks , ▁and ▁landing ▁platform ▁hel ic op ters . ▁Although ▁they ▁have ▁flight ▁de cks ▁and ▁look ▁like ▁aircraft ▁carri ers , ▁they ▁primarily ▁operate ▁hel ic op ters ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁floating ▁air base . ▁Ex amples ▁include ▁the ▁US ▁W asp - class ▁assault ▁ships , ▁Brazil ian ▁P H M ▁Atl ânt ico ▁( A 1 4 0 ), ▁Japanese ▁Ak its u ▁Mar u ▁esc ort ▁car rier , ▁and ▁French ▁M ist ral - class . ▁ ▁Cat ap ult ▁aircraft ▁merchant men , ▁merchant ▁ships ▁which ▁carried ▁cargo ▁and ▁an ▁aircraft ▁cat ap ult ▁( no ▁flight ▁deck ). ▁ ▁Esc ort ▁carri ers , ▁usually ▁converted ▁merchant ▁ships , ▁see ▁separate ▁List ▁of ▁esc ort ▁carri ers ▁by ▁country . ▁ ▁" Land ing ▁craft ▁carri ers " ▁such ▁as ▁, ▁which ▁were ▁modified ▁am ph ib ious ▁landing ▁ships , ▁because ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁recover ▁their ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁Mer chant ▁aircraft ▁carri ers , ▁cargo - car ry ing ▁merchant ▁ships ▁with ▁a ▁full ▁flight ▁deck . ▁ ▁Se ap lane ▁tend ers ▁and ▁se ap lane ▁carri ers , ▁because ▁they ▁could ▁not ▁land ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁Sub marine ▁aircraft ▁carri ers , ▁because ▁they ▁had ▁no ▁flight ▁deck ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁land ▁their ▁aircraft . ▁ ▁" In ▁commission " ▁denotes ▁the ▁period ▁that ▁the ▁ship ▁was ▁officially ▁in ▁commission ▁with ▁the ▁given ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁given ▁country