Nato vs the World: 12 Ships of Christmas from HMS Prince of Wales to HMNZS Aotearoa
Which country has the biggest vessel in its navy? Which country has the longest ship? Which armaments does the vessel have?
To find out, we have made our own version of the famous card game Top Trumps – other brands of comparative card games are available – featuring 12 countries, including the USA, UK, China, France, and Russia.
BFBS Forces News has paired up these 12 countries' vessels to compare and contrast their relative capabilities, so you can discuss their merits as you sit scoffing a mince pie.
USA vs China
The one true superpower rivalry in the world. Meta vs WeChat. Washington DC vs Beijing. Trump vs Xi. The bald eagle vs the panda.
USS Gerald R Ford is the lead ship of the Ford-class aircraft carriers and is often seen as the US Navy's flagship. She is the longest vessel among the dozen (337m) and the heaviest, with a displacement of 100,000 tonnes.
The world's largest aircraft carrier, the Americans don't do things by halves, it seems, was recently in the Caribbean Sea to counter narco-terrorism. She has more than 4,000 personnel on board, aircraft and can catapult launch aircraft from her flight deck at any time of day.
She cost an astronomical $13bn (roughly £11.5bn) to build and construct.
Fujian is the inaugural aircraft carrier designed and created in China. The aircraft carrier entered service in November 2025 following a ceremony coordinated by Beijing's premier Xi Jinping.
She has an electromagnetic launch system, therefore allowing the Chinese navy to have a greater variety of aircraft than the US. This system means she can have aircraft like the Xi'an KJ-600 early warning and control plane take off from the flight deck.
UK vs Russia
HMS Prince of Wales is the Royal Navy's flagship and weighs in at a staggering 65,000 tonnes.
She has recently been traversing the world as part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group 25, where the ships visited 12 countries and interacted with 30 nations.
The vessel is crewed by a total crew of 679, which increases to roughly 1,600 when a full complement of F-35B jets and Crowsnest helicopters are embarked.
There are around 364,000m of pipes, 250,000km of electrical cable, and more than 8,000km of fibre optic cable hidden within the UK's largest vessel.
Admiral Kuznetsov, otherwise known as Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, is Moscow's only aircraft carrier and traditionally regarded as its flagship.
The aircraft carrier, which has a top speed of 29 knots, participated in combat from November 2016 to January 2017, when its fighter jets launched airstrikes against the Islamic State group and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria.
The 305m long vessel can hold 26 aircraft and 24 helicopters, according to Tass.
France vs Australia
You could say that there is a bit of an 'auk-ward' rivalry between the two states after their spat over Aukus, the security pact between the UK, Australia and the USA.
Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and also the French navy's flagship. The French, not to be outdone by us Brits, had their own carrier strike group, Clemenceau 25, this year headed by the aircraft carrier.
Outside the USA, this vessel is the sole nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, meaning she can carry larger aircraft and be operated for greater periods of time.
She also has steam catapults and arresting gear like Washington's aircraft carriers, therefore allowing France and the USA to complete joint exercises together.
HMAS Canberra is a helicopter carrier and is the Royal Australian Navy's flagship. She aids the Australian Defence Force with amphibious deployments and humanitarian missions.
The ship can carry a force of more than 1,000 personnel accompanied by their weapons, ammunition, vehicles and stores. She has six spots on her flight deck for MRH-90 and Blackhawk aircraft.
For her humanitarian missions, she has two operating theatres, an eight-bed critical care unit, and x-ray and dental facilities.
Germany vs India
Yes, this is not a classic rivalry by any stretch of the imagination in terms of size and power, but we are still running with it.
FGS Sachsen is the lead ship of its Sachsen-class air defence frigates, and it was last seen in UK waters during DSEI 2025 in London.
She was commissioned back in 2004, and she has advanced radar and missile systems designed to defend naval groups from air and missile threats. She has worked with Nato's standing maritime groups and did operational training in Plymouth.
INS Vikrant is India's first homemade aircraft carrier. Indian prime minister Narenda Modi dubbed the vessel "a floating city" at her commissioning ceremony three years ago.
The 45,000-tonne ship has space for a 16-bed hospital as well as a pair of operating theatres and an intensive care unit alongside her weaponry, which includes four 30mm machine guns and anti-air missiles.
Italy vs Brazil
Two nations better known for their prowess on the football pitch than in the military have been pitted against each other.
LHD Trieste is a multi-purpose landing helicopter dock, which took over from Rome's aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi.
She received her battle flag at a ceremony in the town of her namesake as she prepared for operational service in October, while, over the summer, the vessel completed exercises with the Indian navy's frigate INS Tamal.
One interesting feature the ship has is that she has a floodable well deck underneath the hangar, so that Nato forces can use amphibious vehicles.
NAM Atlantico is a helicopter carrier and the Brazilian navy's flagship. She was originally called HMS Ocean and was part of the Royal Navy; however, Basilia bought the amphibious assault helicopter carrier seven years ago.
The vessel, which is crewed by 303 personnel, can hold 40 vehicles and 18 helicopters, including S-70B Seahawk, according to Naval Technology.
Beyond her warfighting capabilities, she was the base for a Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament in August.
Norway vs New Zealand
Despite being the underdogs of their respective geographical arenas, these two small nations are still mighty with unique capabilities.
HNoMS Roald Amundsen, another frigate, is part of the Royal Norwegian Navy and was another vessel involved in the UK Carrier Strike Group 25.
The vessel, named after the Arctic explorer, is equipped with a 76mm OTO Melara Super Rapid gun, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles for air defence, and the Oslo-designed Naval Strike Missile, which is in service on HMS Richmond.
The UK recently signed the Lunna House Agreement with Norway, which will see the two countries operate together to combat Russian undersea threats.
HMNZS Aotearoa is a sustainable vessel in the Royal New Zealand Navy. The vessel, run by 64 crew members, is the biggest ship ever sailed by Wellington's navy.
The 26,000-tonne Polar-class ship can hold 22 20ft shipping containers and is able to make 100,000 litres a day of fresh water through her fresh water generation plants. She is also a very environmentally friendly vessel as she has the world's first ever 'Environship' leadge bow design to decrease resistance.
Top Trumps team: Jonathan Moynihan, Richard White, Alexander Candlin, Fred Ford, Cameron Ridgway, Sophie Perryer, and Jonathan Bates.
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