HMS invincible bows out

[Kapitan]

after 22 years of service 3 wars and almost sailing the world its time for the british navys aircraft carrier HMS invincible to make her last stop.

as of now the ship has been decommissioned and is mothballed pending sale or scrap her last duty as british navys flag ship was to be flag ship at the international fleet review now she is laid up.

holding battle honours for the falklands afghanistan and iraq (twice) its time to go.

she has handed her flag ship status to her sister HMS illustrious as HMS ark royal is in refit

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005350347,00.html
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publ...cle_002808.php

[U-104]

I love carriers and I hate to see one retired

[Syxx_Killer]

I hate to see any ship retired and hate it more when they are scrapped. At least she had an illustrious career (pun intended).

[Oberon]

And then there were two...

Goddamn budget cuts.

[Abraham]

She was conceived in the period that the 'vintage' WW II carriers were withdraw and the word "Carrier" was taboo withing the British Government and the Labour party at large. Their first design was called Through Deck Cruisers, as opposed to HMS Tiger, a cruiser converted to carry Wessex helicopters in a aft hangar. Had they been called "carrier" at that time they would have died on the drawing board
At that time the Royal Navy still had two carriers, HMS Victorious and HMS Hermes.
The Victorious was retired and the Hermes converted to a helicopter carrier. The fighter aircraft (Phantoms II) and strike aircarft (Buccaneers) of the Fleet Air Arm were incorporated in the Royal Air Force.
The Harrier and the invention of the "Sky Jump" (upward angled deck) saved the carriers of/for/in the RN...

[Kapitan]

thats true so what about the new 60,000 tonne carriers theres two of them coming prince of wales and queen elizabeth

[badhat17]

Originally Posted by Abraham

She was conceived in the period that the 'vintage' WW II carriers were withdraw and the word "Carrier" was taboo withing the British Government and the Labour party at large. Their first design was called Through Deck Cruisers, as opposed to HMS Tiger, a cruiser converted to carry Wessex helicopters in a aft hangar. Had they been called "carrier" at that time they would have died on the drawing board
At that time the Royal Navy still had two carriers, HMS Victorious and HMS Hermes.
The Victorious was retired and the Hermes converted to a helicopter carrier. The fighter aircraft (Phantoms II) and strike aircarft (Buccaneers) of the Fleet Air Arm were incorporated in the Royal Air Force.
The Harrier and the invention of the "Sky Jump" (upward angled deck) saved the carriers of/for/in the RN...

When the Invincible class was in design stage the Royal Navy had infact four carriers available , the two fleet carriers Eagle and Ark Royal and two commando carriers Hermes and Bulwark which had been layed down as light fleet carriers during WWII.
By the time HMS Invincible was operational the two fleet carriers had been payed off along with Bulwark while Hermes had been converted to the ASW role which included the fitting of a ski jump so making Hermes one of the "Harrier carriers".

[Abraham]

Thanks, you're right about the 4 carriers: Victorious, Eagle Hermes and Bulwark!
(Excuse: it's a long time ago and I did not check ant sources...)

[Kapitan]

i think a naval fleet of some :

8 air craft carriers each 85,000 tonnes
10 cruisers
25 destroyers
30 frigates
30 mine hunters
50 patrol vessels
70 fast patrol vessels
25 nuclear attack submarines
15 conventional submarines
10 missile submarines
65 auxilarys

perfect fleet

[Abraham]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

i think a naval fleet of some :

8 air craft carriers each 85,000 tonnes
10 cruisers
25 destroyers
30 frigates
30 mine hunters
50 patrol vessels
70 fast patrol vessels
25 nuclear attack submarines
15 conventional submarines
10 missile submarines
65 auxilarys

perfect fleet

For what? Balancing the budget?
:rotfl:

[Torpedo Fodder]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

thats true so what about the new 60,000 tonne carriers theres two of them coming prince of wales and queen elizabeth

The design is looking good so far, with a wing of 50 aircraft, they'll be the largest and most powerful class of carriers in the world next to the Nimitz class. Admiral Kuznetsov is in the same size range as the Queen Elizibeth class, but she can only carry 20-30 aircraft due to her battery of Granit missiles. Hopefully, government incompetence or some "white paper" won't kill them before they're complete, and hopefully, BOTH of them will be completed.

[U-104]

[Kapitan]

the deal is signed with BAe and they drw up a contract with them apparently if the government pulls out at any time they lose every penny they put in so they have to go through with it thats what ive heard wether its true or not i dont know.

id love to see another 2 more of these carriers because they realy will be over streached our 3 little carriers wernt even a big enough force one in refit one on trials one in a war not good suppose the falklands kicks off again what then ?

[Abraham]

Believe me, the RN will have trouble manning two Carrier Battle Groups...
They are really stretching things to the limits!

[Godalmighty83]

Originally Posted by Abraham

Believe me, the RN will have trouble manning two Carrier Battle Groups...
They are really stretching things to the limits!

automation will mean that the crew needed wont be as drastic as on previous larger ships, but both ships and fleets with be a strain. by the time both carriers are ready there should be a good few type 45 destroyers ready as well as perhaps a few tri-hull combat/support ships.