HMS Illustrious (R06)

Last updated

HMS Illustrious MOD 45154447.jpg
HMS Illustrious in 2012
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Illustrious
Ordered14 May 1976
Builder Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Laid down7 October 1976
Launched1 December 1978
Sponsored by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Commissioned20 June 1982
Decommissioned28 August 2014
RefitFirst Major 1990s, Second Major 2003–2005, Third Major 2010–2012
Homeport HMNB Portsmouth
Identification
Motto
  • Vox Non Incerta
  • ("No Uncertain Sound")
Nickname(s)"Lusty"
FateScrapped [2]
Badge HMS Illustrious badge.jpg
General characteristics
Class and type Invincible-class aircraft carrier
Displacement22,000 tonnes [3]
Length210 m (690 ft) [4]
Beam118 ft (36 m)
Draught25 ft (7.6 m)
Propulsion
Speed28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph), 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) cruising
Range5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement
  • 685 crew
  • 366 Fleet Air Arm
Armament
Aircraft carried

HMS Illustrious was a light aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and the second of three Invincible-class ships constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She was the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and was affectionately known to her crew as "Lusty". In 1982, the conflict in the Falklands necessitated that Illustrious be completed and rushed south to join her sister ship HMS Invincible and the veteran carrier HMS Hermes. To this end, she was brought forward by three months for completion at Swan Hunter Shipyard, then commissioned on 20 June 1982 at sea en route to Portsmouth Dockyard to take on board extra stores and crew. She arrived in the Falklands to relieve Invincible on 28 August 1982 in a steam past. Returning to the United Kingdom, she was not formally commissioned into the fleet until 20 March 1983. After her South Atlantic deployment, she was deployed on Operation Southern Watch in Iraq, then Operation Deny Flight in Bosnia during the 1990s and Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone in 2000. An extensive re-fit during 2002 prevented her from involvement in the 2003 Iraq War, but she was returned to service in time to assist British citizens trapped by the 2006 Lebanon War.

Contents

Following the retirement of her fixed-wing British Aerospace Harrier II aircraft in 2010, Illustrious operated as one of two Royal Navy helicopter carriers. After 32 years' service, the oldest ship in the Royal Navy's active fleet was formally decommissioned on 28 August 2014 even though she would not be replaced until HMS Queen Elizabeth's commissioning in 2017. Despite the UK Ministry of Defence's announcement in 2012 that, once decommissioned, Illustrious would be preserved for the nation, in 2016 she was sold and towed to Turkish company Leyal for scrapping.

Construction and commissioning

Illustrious, the second of the three Invincible-class aircraft carriers, was laid down at Swan Hunter on the River Tyne on 7 October 1976 and launched by Princess Margaret on 1 December 1978. [5] [6] As the ship neared the end of its fitting out period, the Falklands War broke out. As a consequence, work on Illustrious was greatly sped up. The war was won before Illustrious could be finished, but she did perform a useful service in the aftermath. Until the RAF airfield on the Falkland Islands was repaired, air defence of the area was the responsibility of the Fleet Air Arm. After Hermes returned to the UK, Invincible remained on station in the South Atlantic until September 1982. To relieve Invincible, the newly completed Illustrious was rapidly deployed, with 809 Naval Air Squadron (Sea Harrier) and 814 Naval Air Squadron (Sea King) embarked. Additionally, a pair of Sea Kings from 824 Naval Air Squadron were attached to the air group, which had been converted to operate in the AEW role. [7] So rapidly was Illustrious deployed that she was commissioned while at sea. Rear Admiral Derek Reffell, Flag Officer, Third Flotilla, commanded the relief task group from Illustrious during this period. After the RAF airfield was repaired, Illustrious returned to the UK for a full shakedown cruise and workup period, and was formally commissioned on 20 March 1983.

Operational history

1983–1990

The carrier saw no further action during the remainder of the 1980s, but continued to be a valuable asset for the Royal Navy in showing the flag and participating in exercises all around the world. During those years, the ship received several enhancements during refits, including a steeper ski-jump to enable the Harriers in the air wing to take-off with a larger payload. During an 'Extended Dockyard Assisted Maintenance Period (EDAMP)', numerous modifications were made to the ship including the removal of her Sea Dart missile defences at a cost of twelve million pounds. This allowed for extra deck space that enables her to carry up to 22 aircraft, including the Harrier GR7.

On 3 April 1986 [8] she suffered a catastrophic gearbox failure which almost saw the end of the vessel's naval career. Just starting out on her "fly the flag" around the globe trip, at about 00:30 whilst reaching full engine revs, due to conflicting gearbox tolerances causing friction and heat it ignited the oil vapour within the gearbox which exploded causing a fire lasting well over four hours. Sea Harriers were flown off whilst firefighting continued below decks, and one Sea King took the only casualty ashore (smoke inhalation) Although it was a serious fire it was contained within the forward gearbox room and vertical trunking. Additional vessels including the destroyer HMS Nottingham and Ferry Sea Leopard were in attendance, however Illustrious crew managed to extinguish the fire and she returned to Portsmouth under her own power provided by her aft engine room. Although the ship went to emergency stations at no time was any abandonment considered. There was no loss of life or serious injury, but the trip was put off for several months whilst the ship was taken out of service for extensive repairs. In due course once repairs were completed Illustrious sailed directly to the Far East arriving at Singapore to resume the Eastern end of the Global 86 deployment.

1990–2002

Illustrious (r) and the American USS John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf in 1998 USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) & HMS Illustrious (R 06).jpg
Illustrious (r) and the American USS John C. Stennis in the Persian Gulf in 1998

During the 1990s, the main task of the aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy was helping to maintain the no-fly zone over Bosnia during the war there. All three of the navy's carriers rotated through the area. In 1998 she operated in the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, the Anglo-Saudi-American enforcement of the no-fly-zone over Southern Iraq.

In 2000 Illustrious led Task Group 342.1, a naval task force comprising HM ships — Ocean, Argyll, Iron Duke, Chatham — and numerous Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships in Operation Palliser, which was aimed at restoring peace and stability to Sierra Leone.

A combat deployment for the ship took place in 2001. A large British exercise, Saif Sareea II took place in Oman in late 2001. During the exercise, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center took place. Illustrious remained in theatre while other elements of the task force returned to the United Kingdom. Illustrious had elements of the Royal Marines on board, ready for possible combat operations in Afghanistan. [9] No deployment was made before Illustrious was relieved by Ocean in early 2002 and returned to Portsmouth after seven months at sea. [10]

2003–2005

Illustrious undergoing maintenance at Portsmouth during 2005 Illustrious dock-view.JPG
Illustrious undergoing maintenance at Portsmouth during 2005

In mid-2003, the ship underwent a further refit at Rosyth Dockyard. This refit involved the total rebuild of the ski jump, the adding of better communications and reconfiguring the ship so that it can be more quickly switched between the light aircraft carrier and helicopter carrier roles. The refit should have enable her to carry on until 2014, when it was expected that the first of the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers would come into service.[ citation needed ]Illustrious returned to Portsmouth following the completion of the refit in December 2004.

She was re-dedicated in 2005, and following the death of the ship's original sponsor Princess Margaret, her daughter Lady Sarah Chatto agreed to attend in a new role as "ship's friend". [11]

2006

Illustrious along with HMS Gloucester helped in the evacuation of British citizens from Beirut as a result of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon crisis. Later that year, as part of the Royal Navy's Remembrance Day activities, Illustrious sailed up the River Thames on Friday 10 November 2006. She was moored at Wood Wharf, a few hundred yards upriver from the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, until Wednesday 15 November. Whilst there, the Falklands War commemorative events in 2007 were announced on board her. [12]

2007

Fixed wing aircraft from the USMC arranged on Illustrious; ten AV-8B Harriers are lined up with, at the rear, an MV-22 Osprey USMC Harriers line the deck of HMS Illustrious MOD 45147594.jpg
Fixed wing aircraft from the USMC arranged on Illustrious; ten AV-8B Harriers are lined up with, at the rear, an MV-22 Osprey
Illustrious in formation with United States Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Harry S. Truman and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on a Joint Task Force Exercise in the Atlantic Ocean, July 2007 HMS Illustrious01.jpg
Illustrious in formation with United States Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Harry S. Truman and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on a Joint Task Force Exercise in the Atlantic Ocean, July 2007

Illustrious carried out two weeks of fixed wing flying serials exercises in the North Sea 20 miles (32 km) off Hartlepool in March 2007, during which seven GR9 Harriers from No. 4 Squadron RAF, Joint Force Harrier touched down on her flight-deck. [13] Also during these exercises, seven of her crew had to be airlifted to hospital in Middlesbrough on 13 March suffering from fume inhalation and throat and eye irritation after an accident with chemicals in cleaning a junior ratings' toilet area. Illustrious sailed on to Portsmouth, where they rejoined her on leaving hospital. [14] From 25 to 30 May 2007, after an exercise in the Baltic Sea, Illustrious was the first British aircraft carrier ever to visit Tallinn, Estonia. The visit provided rest for the ship's crew after the Baltic exercise, acted as a diplomatic visit, and also involved naval and air exercises with the Estonian Defence Forces. [15]

Next, in July 2007, Illustrious took part in a US-led Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFX) off the eastern coast of the United States (for which she hosted 14 US Harrier jets and 200 US Marines) before returning to Portsmouth the following month. [16] On 10 July 2007, during the JTFX, a MV-22 Osprey landed aboard Illustrious, the first time a V-22 had landed on a non-U.S. vessel.[ citation needed ]

2008

The carrier set sail from Portsmouth on 21 January 2008 as head of the multi-national Task Group 328.01, [17] under Operation Orion 08, which from January to May 2008 carried out exercises and diplomatic visits to twenty ports in the Mediterranean, Africa, the Middle East, and south-east Asia. However, on 23 January, whilst still off the coast of southern England, she sailed back to Portsmouth for repairs to a minor fault in a meat freezer. It was felt to be important to repair this before sailing to a warmer climate, and Navy spokesman Anton Hanney stated that flying in an emergency plumber whilst she was underway would be more expensive than turning back whilst Illustrious was still in the English Channel. She sailed back out at 1pm on 24 January [18] and made up the lost 24 hours. [19] [20] [21] Her ports of call included Valletta, Malta 26–29 February 2008. [22] [23]

This 2008 assignment was filmed and shown on Channel 5 as the six part TV documentary Warship transmitted on Mondays from 19 May 2008. [24] [25] This documentary aimed to show life on board the aging carrier in much the same way that HMS Ark Royal was shown in the 1976 series Sailor . Illustrious was commanded by Captain Steve Chick CBE BSc, who had also commanded HMS Chatham during the 2005 BBC documentary Shipmates.

By the end of July, she had returned to Portsmouth where Illustrious took part in the 2008 navy open-day. On board was a full size model of the F-35 Joint Combat Aircraft which will replace the Harriers then used by the ship. Illustrious was the only aircraft carrier to be part of the event, although the inactive Invincible was also visible to the public.[ citation needed ]

On 17 October she, along with HMS Cattistock, sailed into Liverpool where she was open to the public on Saturday 18 October. On 4 November she moored at Greenwich, arriving to take central part in the Royal Navy's remembrance week with the F-35 mock-up still on deck.

2009

A V-22 Osprey landing on the rear flight deck of Illustrious in the Atlantic Ocean in 2007 MV-22 SeaKingAEW R06 2007.JPG
A V-22 Osprey landing on the rear flight deck of Illustrious in the Atlantic Ocean in 2007

On 7 May 2009 she returned to Greenwich to serve as the centre piece of the Royal Navy's celebration of a century of British naval aviation; on board were examples of all the Navy's operational helicopters.[ citation needed ]

Beginning on 8 June, she took part in the exercise Loyal Arrow in northern Sweden. The exercise lasted until 16 June. On 17 June 2009, she arrived in Tallinn. On 27 June 2009 she was in the harbour of Oslo, Norway.

On 22 October 2009 she arrived at Liverpool for a six-day visit and moored at the cruise terminal. There was a fly past along The River Mersey on 23 October as part of its celebrations to mark that year's centenary of naval aviation. Illustrious was open to members of the public on 25–26 October and departed Liverpool on 27 October 2009.

2010–2016

Illustrious (at rear) and HMS Bulwark near Harstad, Norway during Exercise Cold Response in 2012 HMS Illustrious and HMS Bulwark off Norway MOD 45153814.jpg
Illustrious (at rear) and HMS Bulwark near Harstad, Norway during Exercise Cold Response in 2012
Illustrious takes fuel from the French supply tanker Somme during Exercise COUGAR 13 HMS Illustrious Refuelling from FS Somme MOD 45155926.jpg
Illustrious takes fuel from the French supply tanker Somme during Exercise COUGAR 13

As part of Strategic Defence and Security Review, and in addition to the retirement of the Harrier force and Illustrious's sister ship Ark Royal, it was announced that a short study would be carried out to determine whether Illustrious or Ocean was the most viable helicopter platform. The decision was subsequently made to retain Ocean for the longer term. In May 2011 Illustrious was made operational after a £40 million refit, [26] and she was handed back to the fleet after sea trials in late July 2011 [27] She took over the helicopter carrier role while Ocean underwent a planned refit, due for completion by 2014; Illustrious was then withdrawn from service. [28] The Ministry of Defence also announced on 12 September 2012 that Illustrious, as the last of the Invincible-class aircraft carriers, would be preserved as a memorial "in recognition of the service given by these ships in protecting the UK over the last 30 years". [29] [30]

In March 2012, Illustrious took part in Exercise 'Cold Response' with Bulwark, RFA Mounts Bay and other Royal Navy vessels. This was a NATO winter war games exercise conducted in northern Norway, where she tested her capabilities as a helicopter carrier. [31] Illustrious was awarded the Bambara Trophy, the trophy is given to a unit each year with the best flight safety record, during 'Cold Response'. [32] Following 'Cold Response' she then took part in Exercise 'Joint Warrior' with vessels from Norway, the Netherlands and the United States [33] and Cougar 12 in the Mediterranean. [34] In May 2013, as part of the 70th Anniversary of The Battle of the Atlantic Commemorations, Illustrious sailed up the River Thames and was moored at Greenwich where she was used as the venue for a charity reception in aid of the Royal Navy's aviation heritage.

She was deployed as part of Exercise COUGAR 13 during the autumn of 2013 [35] along with HMS Bulwark, HMS Westminster, HMS Montrose and six RFA vessels. [36] She was diverted away from the COUGAR 13 task group in December 2013 to assist in Typhoon Haiyan disaster relief efforts in the Philippines [37] and eventually returned to Portsmouth on 10 January 2014.

Illustrious was briefly berthed at Rosyth in the first week of July 2014, in a dock adjacent to HMS Queen Elizabeth, which was formally named on 4 July 2014; Illustrious left Rosyth the following day and arrived back at HMNB Portsmouth on 22 July at the end of active service. [38] By then the oldest operational RN warship, she was decommissioned at HMNB Portsmouth on 28 August 2014. [39] [40]

The Royal Navy had hoped to preserve the ship, and in August 2014 it was reported that Kingston upon Hull and two other cities had submitted bids for her. [41] However, these bids were judged to be unviable. [2] On 6 May 2016, the MOD's Disposal Authority advertised the potential sale of Illustrious for recycling only and three months later the sale to a Turkish scrapyard was confirmed. [2] [42]

The former HMS Illustrious left Portsmouth under tow bound for Turkey on 7 December 2016. [43]

Commanding officers

Affiliations

HMS Illustrious escorting the contestants in the 2011 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to the start line in the Solent. HMS Illustrious-1.JPG
HMS Illustrious escorting the contestants in the 2011 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to the start line in the Solent.

In media

In 2010, the ship was featured on Channel 5 documentary series Warship . The first series was centred on Illustrious, looking at the daily routines and lives of the crew on board and was filmed during one of her exercises with deployments abroad.

Illustrious was featured in an episode of the television show Real Rooms. [46] She has also featured in the BBC documentary Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections with Richard Hammond.

Citations

  1. "Royal Navy Fleet Bridge Card" (PDF). Royal Navy . February 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 "Former Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious sold for scrap". BBC News . 23 August 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  3. "The Current UK Aircraft Carriers - The Invincible Class". Aircraft Carrier Alliance . Archived from the original on 13 November 2011.
  4. "Helicopter Carrier: Invincible Class". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. Gardiner & Chumbley 1995 , p. 501
  6. "Illustrious No. 5: Princess christens new super-cruiser". Navy News . January 1979. p. 9. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  7. "Instant Airborne Radar Heads South". New Scientist . Vol. 95, no. 1318. 12 August 1982. p. 428.
  8. Hobbs, D. (2013). British Aircraft Carriers. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   978-1-84832-138-0.
  9. Graves, David (30 September 2001). "Illustrious to take command in Swift Sword manoeuvres". The Daily Telegraph . London, UK. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  10. "HMS Illustrious returns from Afghanistan". BBC News. 25 March 2002. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  11. "HMS Illustrious : Lady Sarah Chatto". Royal Navy. 2005. Archived from the original on 9 July 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  12. Norton-Taylor, Richard (14 November 2006). "Falklands war to be remembered over four days". The Guardian . London, UK. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  13. "Harriers touch down on HMS Illustrious". Ministry of Defence. 12 March 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  14. "Airlift for carrier sailors overcome by fumes". The Guardian . London, UK. Press Association. 16 March 2007. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  15. "HMS Illustrious in Tallinn". Foreign and Commonwealth Office . 30 May 2007. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  16. "US Marines embark Harriers onto HMS Illustrious". Ministry of Defence. 17 July 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  17. Scott, Richard (11 June 2008). "ASW Resurfaces". Jane's Defence Weekly . 45 (24): 25.
  18. "Harbour Watch – Portsmouth Today". The News .
  19. Norton-Taylor, Richard (24 January 2008). "Dodgy freezer halts carrier". The Guardian . London, UK. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  20. "Chill Out! Navy Ship's Fridge Is Wonky". Sky News . 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 4 July 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  21. "Illustrious Leaves UK for Indian Ocean Deployment". Royal Navy. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 24 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  22. "HMS Illustrious returns to Malta". Times of Malta . 26 February 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  23. "HMS Illustrious reties bond with Malta before heading south". British High Commission Malta. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  24. "Warship HMS Illustrious Ch5 TV Series – Showing Whole Series Again". Royal Navy. 27 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  25. "HMS Illustrious: Film Crew On Lusty!". Royal Navy. 2008. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  26. "Life is breathed back into Lusty". Navy News . 23 May 2011. Retrieved 4 March 2019 via foxnwolf.com.
  27. "She's Back: Illustrious raring to go after 40m refit". Navy News. 2011.[ dead link ]
  28. "Changes to Royal Navy's surface fleet announced". Ministry of Defence. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  29. "Royal Navy's HMS Illustrious to be preserved". BBC News. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  30. Mr Philip Dunne, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (10 September 2012). "Invincible Class Carriers". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . House of Commons. col. 1–4.
  31. "Sailors and marines prepare to coldly go for Arctic war games". Navy News. 16 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  32. "UK: HMS Illustrious 'Sets Standard' for Flying at Sea". Naval Today.com. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  33. Defence Images (24 April 2012). "HMS Bulwark with RFA Mounts Bay, HMS Illustrious and USNS Leeroy Grumman". Flickr. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  34. "Naval force gears up for Cougar 12". Ministry of Defence. 27 September 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  35. "HMS Illustrious takes part in operational sea training". Ministry of Defence. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  36. "Royal Navy set for Cougar 13". Ministry of Defence. 8 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  37. "British carrier HMS Illustrious to aid typhoon victims". BBC News. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  38. "HMS Illustrious returns to Portsmouth for final time". BBC News. 21 July 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  39. "Portsmouth-based HMS Illustrious retires from Navy". BBC News. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  40. "HMS Illustrious takes final bow". Royal Navy. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  41. Farmer, Ben (28 August 2014). "Competition to give retired HMS Illustrious new home". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  42. "Sale of the former HMS Illustrious aircraft carrier". UK Ministry of Defence. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  43. Ough, Tom (7 December 2016). "HMS Illustrious sets sail to Turkish scrapyard". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  44. "Affiliations: HMS Illustrious". Royal Navy. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  45. "About Us". HMS Illustrious Association. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  46. "Programme Index". BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2022.

Related Research Articles

<i>Invincible</i>-class aircraft carrier Royal Navy aircraft carrier class

The Invincible class was a class of light aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Navy. Three ships were constructed: HMS Invincible, HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal. The vessels were built as aviation-capable anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platforms to counter the Cold War North Atlantic Soviet submarine threat, and initially embarked Sea Harrier aircraft and Sea King HAS.1 anti-submarine helicopters. With cancellation of the aircraft carriers renewal programme in the 1960s, the three ships became the replacements for Ark Royal and Eagle fleet carriers and the Centaur-class light fleet carriers, and the Royal Navy's sole class of aircraft carrier.

HMS <i>Ark Royal</i> (R07) 1985 Invincible-class light aircraft carrier

HMS Ark Royal was a light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of the Invincible class. She was built by Swan Hunter on the River Tyne and launched by them in 1981. Ark Royal was christened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She followed sister ships HMS Invincible and HMS Illustrious into service in 1985.

HMS <i>Ocean</i> (L12) 1998 unique amphibious assault ship of the Royal Navy

HMS Ocean was a Landing Platform Helicopter, formerly the UK's helicopter carrier and the fleet flagship of the Royal Navy. She was designed to support amphibious landing operations and to support the staff of Commander UK Amphibious Force and Commander UK Landing Force. She was constructed in the mid-1990s by Kvaerner Govan on the River Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furness prior to trials and subsequent acceptance in service. Ocean was commissioned in September 1998 at her home port HMNB Devonport, Plymouth.

HMS <i>Hermes</i> (R12) 1959 Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Hermes was a conventional British aircraft carrier and the last of the Centaur class.

HMS <i>Invincible</i> (R05) 1980 Invincible-class light aircraft carrier

HMS Invincible was the Royal Navy's lead ship of her class of three light aircraft carriers. She was launched on 3 May 1977 as the seventh ship to carry the name. She was originally designated as an anti-submarine warfare carrier, but was used as an aircraft carrier during the Falklands War, when she was deployed with HMS Hermes. She took over as flagship of the British fleet when Hermes was sold to India. Invincible was also deployed in the Yugoslav Wars and the Iraq War. In 2005, she was decommissioned, and was eventually sold for scrap in February 2011.

HMS <i>Albion</i> (R07) 1954 Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Albion (R07) was a 22,000-ton Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy.

HMS <i>Liverpool</i> (D92) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Liverpool was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead and launched on 25 September 1980 by Lady Strathcona, wife of Euan Howard, the then Minister of State for Defence. Liverpool was the last Type 42 Batch 2 in service.

HMS <i>Ark Royal</i> (R09) 1955 Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Ark Royal (R09) was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1979, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier. She was the first aircraft carrier to be equipped with angled flight deck at its commissioning; her sister ship, HMS Eagle, was the Royal Navy's first angle-decked aircraft carrier after modification in 1954. Ark Royal was the only non-United States vessel to operate the McDonnell Douglas Phantom at sea.

<i>Centaur</i>-class aircraft carrier Royal Navy aircraft carrier class

The Centaur class aircraft carrier was the final iteration of the 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier developed by the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. They were designed in 1943 to operate higher-performance aircraft than the preceding Majestic-class aircraft carrier. Four ships were laid down in 1944-1945 and completed in 1953-1959. Rapid developments in carrier warfare and technology overtook the ships even as they were under construction, and the associated costs of modernization led to ships being completed to different specifications. Only the last ship, HMS Hermes (R12), was fitted as a modern fixed-wing carrier; she was also the last of the class to retire in 2017 as INS Viraat.

HMS <i>Bulwark</i> (R08) 1954 Centaur-class light fleet carrier of the Royal Navy

The sixth HMS Bulwark of the Royal Navy was a 22,000 ton Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier. Initially commissioned as a light aircraft carrier in 1954, the ship was converted into a commando carrier in 1958 and recommissioned as such in 1960. Bulwark remained in this capacity until 1979 following failed efforts to sell the ship, Bulwark re-entered service as an anti-submarine warfare carrier and remained as such until being decommissioned in 1981. The ship was scrapped in 1984.

HMAS <i>Melbourne</i> (R21) 1955–1982 Majestic-class aircraft carrier of Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1955 until 1982, and was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to serve in the RAN. Melbourne was the only Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions.

HMS <i>Iron Duke</i> (F234) 1993 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Iron Duke is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy, and the third ship to bear the name.

HMS <i>St Albans</i> (F83) 2002 Type 23 or Duke-class frigate of the Royal Navy


HMS St Albans is a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. She is the sixth ship to bear the name and is the sixteenth and final ship in the 'Duke' class of frigates. She is based in Devonport, Plymouth.

RFA <i>Fort Austin</i> 1979 Fort Rosalie-class replenishment ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Fort Austin is a retired British Fort Rosalie-class dry stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

HMS <i>Bristol</i> (D23) 1973 Type 82 destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Bristol (D23) was a Type 82 destroyer, the only vessel of her class to be built for the Royal Navy. Bristol was intended to be the first of a class of large destroyers to escort the CVA-01 aircraft carriers projected to come into service in the early 1970s but the rest of the class and the CVA-01 carriers were cancelled as a result of the 1966 Defence White Paper which cut defence spending.

HMS <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> (R08) Royal Navy aircraft carrier and fleet flagship

HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers and the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy. Capable of carrying 60 aircraft including fixed wing, rotary wing and autonomous vehicles, she is named in honour of the first HMS Queen Elizabeth, a World War I era super-dreadnought, which in turn was named after Queen Elizabeth I. The carrier Queen Elizabeth carries her namesake ship's honours, as well as her Tudor rose-adorned crest and motto.

HMS <i>Defender</i> (D36) 2013 Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Defender is the fifth of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She is the eighth ship to bear the name. Construction of Defender began in 2006, and she was launched in 2009. The ship completed her first sea trials in October and November 2011, and was commissioned during March 2013.

HMS <i>Duncan</i> (D37) 2013 Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Duncan is the sixth and last of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence destroyers built for the Royal Navy and launched in 2010. Duncan is named after Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, who defeated the Dutch fleet at the Battle of Camperdown on 11 October 1797. The destroyer has served in the Mediterranean, Black, and Caribbean Seas, and in 2019 was deployed to the Persian Gulf in response to increased tensions with Iran in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Carrier Strike Group</span> Formation of the Royal Navy (created 2006)

The UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) is a carrier battle group of the Royal Navy. It has existed in various forms since the mid-2000s. Between 2006 and 2011, the formation centred around the Royal Navy's Invincible-class aircraft carriers until the retirement of their Harrier GR9 strike aircraft in 2011 as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The UKCSG subsequently returned in February 2015 ahead of the entry into service of the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. The aim of the CSG is to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21</span> British-led naval force

The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) was a British-led naval force that was deployed on Operation Fortis from May to December 2021. The Carrier Strike Group is seen as the beginning of the British Government's tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region in terms of defence and foreign policy, that had been announced in March through the Integrated Review. It was the first strike group deployment for the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, and the first operational deployment of the UK Carrier Strike Group since 2011. The deployment was the largest single deployment of F-35 fighter aircraft since the programme started in 2006, and the largest fifth-generation fighter carrier air wing in the world at the time. Furthermore, HMS Queen Elizabeth saw the largest number of personnel embarked since she entered service, and the group contained the largest number of Royal Navy maritime helicopters deployed in over 10 years.

References