Official Harrier and Ark Royal Photos

[Jimbuna]

A colleague has kindly sent me the Royal Navy official photos for the last Harrier flight and voyage of HMS Ark Royal and having looked through them (27 in total) I can confidently state some are absolutely fantastic.

One slight hitch though.....I can't ascertain if they are copyright or not so can't post them here for obvious reasons.

If anyone would like a copy, post here or PM me (my PM capacity is seriously limited atm mind) and I will endeavour to send them out tonight.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Yes please, Jim. :yep:

[Oberon]

Please Jim, thank you. :up:

[Gerald]

Yes please,Jim! Thanks in advance :DL

[Tarrasque]

Please.

[TLAM Strike]

I don't know about the RN but in the USN any official photos or photos taken by sailors in the course of duty are public domain unless classified or taken for their own personal use.

[goldorak]

I'm interested, send the photos please. :D

[XabbaRus]

Yes please Jim...

I'll PM my e-mail

[Jimbuna]

I don't know about the RN but in the USN any official photos or photos taken by sailors in the course of duty are public domain unless classified or taken for their own personal use.

I suspect your probably right but out of respect to my colleague and at his request I've converted them to jpeg and cropped a few.

There possibly all over the net by now LOL :DL

[Jimbuna]

Bundling them up now....should be with you within the hour.

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8378/fx100611017.jpg (http://img220.imageshack.us/i/fx100611017.jpg/)

Eerie or what? :hmmm:

Edit: link sent

[Oberon]

Got it, new wallpaper ahoy!

Thanks Jim, lovely pics...she and they will be sorely missed.

[Jimbuna]

Got it, new wallpaper ahoy!

Thanks Jim, lovely pics...she and they will be sorely missed.

Rgr that...your welcome http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/pirate.gif

[TarJak]

Yes please.

[Jimbuna]

Yes please.

On their way mate :sunny:

[krashkart]

Yes please. :)

[Jimbuna]

Yes please. :)

PM sent.

[TarJak]

Thanks very much Jim they are great photo's. Good to see the weather over there clearing snough for the snapper to get a few shots in.:O:

[papa_smurf]

Yes please (if i'm not too late)

[krashkart]

PM sent.


Thank you very much, Jim. These are some really great photos. I especially like the fog - just makes it seem that much more surreal. Kind of surprised at first that she's not a larger ship. I'm used to seeing the behemoth carriers in our fleets here. :DL

What are they planning to do with her once she's been fully decommissioned? Would be a crying shame to see her go to scrap. :-?

[Jimbuna]

Yes please (if i'm not too late)

PM sent.

[Jimbuna]

Thank you very much, Jim. These are some really great photos. I especially like the fog - just makes it seem that much more surreal. Kind of surprised at first that she's not a larger ship. I'm used to seeing the behemoth carriers in our fleets here. :DL

What are they planning to do with her once she's been fully decommissioned? Would be a crying shame to see her go to scrap. :-?

Just a wee 22,000 tons....no decision has yet been taken but the estimated cost to keep her as a museum is £1 million a yearand I'm confident the government won't fund it so it would be down to a private consortiom.

My guess is she'll eventually be scrapped.

[TLAM Strike]

Some company in China wants to buy her for 7 million and tie her up in Brittan somewhere as a Museum to "Foster Western-Chinese relations"...

[Jimbuna]

Some company in China wants to buy her for 7 million and tie her up in Brittan somewhere as a Museum to "Foster Western-Chinese relations"...

Are you being serious? :hmmm:

[TLAM Strike]

Are you being serious? :hmmm:

http://defensetech.org/2011/01/07/china-wants-to-buy-another-cold-war-carrier/

[Jimbuna]

http://defensetech.org/2011/01/07/china-wants-to-buy-another-cold-war-carrier/

Well ya bugga! :o

Could be the next Chinese Takeaway to open in the Liverpool area then :DL

[Oberon]

Some company in China wants to buy her for 7 million and tie her up in Brittan somewhere as a Museum to "Foster Western-Chinese relations"...

Better than a floating casino I guess... :03:

[papa_smurf]

Thnx for the pics Jim:yeah:

[Jimbuna]

Thnx for the pics Jim:yeah:

No prob http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

[Gargamel]

Better than a floating casino I guess... :03:
Or added to the chinese navy.

[Oberon]

Or added to the chinese navy.

Oh, that's where she'll wind up, don't you worry... :yep:

[TLAM Strike]

Oh, that's where she'll wind up, don't you worry... :yep:

No I wont worry! Ark Royal will no doubt be stripped of everything much like the Varyag before sale and it took the Chinese almost 20 years to get her operational (expected launch some time this year). Then its going to take several years before she is fit to be considered operational.

Ark Royal is a 30 year old VTOL carrier so not only is she really old, she is designed for a mission the PLAN doesn't have a requirement for*, and she is designed to operate jets the PLANAF doesn't have.

*No convoy lanes or GIUK gap to defend as an ASW carrier, as a Marine helicopter assault carrier she would have no ability to store or land heavy equipment and she would carry too many choppers to be useful in any operations in the SCS (Type 071s are better for that since they have a well balanced inventory of embarked craft). Supporting actions against Taiwan she becomes redundant in that role too, Taiwan is within range of helicopters flying from the mainland.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Ark Royal is a 30 year old VTOL carrier so not only is she really old, she is designed for a mission the PLAN doesn't have a requirement for*, and she is designed to operate jets the PLANAF doesn't have.


Surely we'd be selling them off too? No places left for gate guardian duties, a few aviation museums would take some if they've any space after the Sea Harrier's (FA2) first retired around 2006, I'm sure one or two T-10s (or did they ever make it to T-12?) will end up (I hope) at Thunder City, and the Aussies - crap as they are at cricket (at the moment!) - will no doubt have some too. That leaves many dozen still up for grabs :nope:

They'll just need some booster cushions :D

[TLAM Strike]

I imagine there would be a few other countries interested in surplus Harriers. Spain, Italy and Thailand all operate the Harrier in one form or another (so do we of course). Japan and South Korea also operate carrier type ships (Japan has a DDG, and Korea a LPH) that could use Harriers to hold them over until the F-35B is put in to production (assuming it is of course).

[Herr-Berbunch]

I imagine there would be a few other countries interested in surplus Harriers. Spain, Italy and Thailand all operate the Harrier in one form or another (so do we of course). Japan and South Korea also operate carrier type ships (Japan has a DDG, and Korea a LPH) that could use Harriers to hold them over until the F-35B is put in to production (assuming it is of course).

Unlike you but you missed India? :D

Ironic that some may want to use them whilst waiting for the F35, when we've given them up whilst waiting for the F35 :nope:

[Jimbuna]

Unlike you but you missed India? :D

Ironic that some may want to use them whilst waiting for the F35, when we've given them up whilst waiting for the F35 :nope:

Ship em to the Falklands and use them for home/island defence should the need arise.

[TLAM Strike]

Unlike you but you missed India? :D

D'oh! You are right, although India is planing on retiring them as soon as their new carrier and its MiG-29K fighters come online.

Ship em to the Falklands and use them for home/island defence should the need arise. That is a good idea, maybe dig some bunkers in the hills and store them there.

The current generation of RAF Harriers can carry AIM-132s which out range by a few kilometers the best Argentine AAMs in service except the old Matra R530 which is old as dirt. Even with the speed and range disadvantage the current RAF Harriers have an advantage on defense since in every other category they are superior to the older model Mirage.

(There I said something nice about the Harrier!) :O:

[Jimbuna]

D'oh! You are right, although India is planing on retiring them as soon as their new carrier and its MiG-29K fighters come online.

That is a good idea, maybe dig some bunkers in the hills and store them there.

The current generation of RAF Harriers can carry AIM-132s which out range by a few kilometers the best Argentine AAMs in service except the old Matra R530 which is old as dirt. Even with the speed and range disadvantage the current RAF Harriers have an advantage on defense since in every other category they are superior to the older model Mirage.

(There I said something nice about the Harrier!) :O:

Good lad....you'll live longer that way :DL

[krashkart]

:rotfl2: