Invincible class aircraft carrier
Encyclopedia
The Invincible class is a class
of light aircraft carrier
operated by the British Royal Navy
. Three ships were constructed, , and . 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 HAS.1 Sea King
anti-submarine helicopters. With the cancellation of CVA-01
, the three ships became the replacements for the Audacious
and Centaur classes
, and the Royal Navy's sole class of aircraft carrier.
Invincible was decommissioned in 2005 and put in reserve in a low state of readiness. She was sold to a Turkish scrapyard in February 2011, and left Portsmouth under tow on 24 March 2011. Pursuant to the Strategic Defence and Security Review
, 2010, Ark Royal followed, decommissioning on 13 March 2011, leaving Illustrious as the sole remaining operational ship.
The three vessels have seen service in a number of locations, including the South Atlantic during the Falklands War
, the Adriatic during the Bosnian War
, and in the Middle East
for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
.
, guided-missile armed, helicopter carrying escort cruiser intended as a complement to the much larger CVA-01-class
fleet aircraft carrier. The cancellation of CVA-01 in 1966 meant that the smaller cruiser would now have to provide the anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) taskforce with command and control
facilities. Two new designs were prepared for this requirement; a 12,500 ton cruiser with missiles forward, six Westland Sea King helicopters and a flight deck aft, somewhat similar to the Vittorio Veneto
of the Italian Navy
and a larger 17,500 ton vessel with a "through-deck", nine Sea Kings and missiles right forward. By 1970, the "through-deck" design had advanced into a Naval Staff Requirement for an 18,750 ton Through-Deck Command Cruisers (TDCC).
In February 1963, the Hawker P.1127
VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft had landed and taken-off from the carrier and the subsequent Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel had undergone trials from the "Commando carrier" (an aircraft carrier operating helicopters) . It was therefore perfectly possible that the new "cruisers" could be used to operate VTOL aircraft. Politics determined that the new ships were carefully termed "through-deck cruisers" and not "aircraft carrier" by the RN; the cancellation of CVA-01 was intended to mean the UK's abandonment of aircraft carriers for good.
Economic problems in the UK in the early 1970s delayed progress on the new ships, but the design continued to evolve. The order for the first ship was given to Vickers (Shipbuilding) on 17 April 1973. By now, the design was for a 19,000 ton "CAH" (helicopter carrying heavy cruiser, styled after the U.S Navy Hull classification symbol
s) with up to fourteen aircraft and a Sea Dart missile
launcher on the bows.
In May 1975, the Government authorised the maritime version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, which was successfully developed into the Sea Harrier
. This meant that the design was reworked again to include a small complement of these VTOL
aircraft. In order to launch a heavily-laden Harrier more efficiently by STOVL
(short take-off vertical landing) from the comparatively short - 170 m - flight deck
, a 'ski-jump' was developed. The slope was initially 7° when incorporated into Invincible and Illustrious and 12° for Ark Royal. The class also has, since 1976, a secondary role as an helicopter carrier, or LPH
, in the reinforcement of NATO's Northern flank in Norway. In 1998 , with a hull form based on that of the Invincible class, was commissioned specifically for this role.
After the 1982 Falklands War
, CIWS guns were added to the design. Illustrious had them fitted at the last minute before commissioning, Ark Royal had them added as a normal part of the building process, and Invincible had them fitted during her first overhaul after the Falklands. Initially, Invincible and Illustrious were fitted with two Vulcan Phalanx
units; these were replaced with three Goalkeeper
systems. Ark Royal has the three Phalanx CIWS
systems she was fitted with when built (she can be easily distinguished from her sisters by the Phalanx's distinctive white "R2-D2
" radome). Electronic countermeasures are provided by a Thales jamming system and ECM system. Seagnat
launchers provide for chaff or flare decoys. As part of upgrades during the mid 1990s, all three ships had the Sea Dart removed, with the forecastle filled in to increase the size of the flight deck.
aircraft. Typically, nine Sea Kings, and four or five Sea Harriers were embarked. This was due to the fact that the originally envisioned mission for the ships was to provide the heart of ASW hunter-killer groups in the North Atlantic during a war against the Soviet Union
. In that context, the main weapon of the carrier would not be its fighter aircraft, but its ASW helicopters. The fighters were on board to shoot down the occasional Soviet maritime patrol aircraft nosing around the ship and its escorts.
The Falklands War
changed that posture, since it proved that Britain needed to retain the capability to use carrier air power in its traditional role of power projection
, both over land, and against enemy fleets. The Falklands War saw Invincible, and the larger and older filled to capacity with both the Sea Harrier and the Royal Air Force
Harrier GR3 ground attack variant of the aircraft, along with ASW helicopters. The RAF Harriers proved to be a temporary aberration at the time. However a permanent addition to the usual air group was made due to lessons learnt during the war: the Sea King AEW2A (Airborne Early Warning
) version. Illustrious carried the first examples of the type when it was rushed south in the aftermath of the Falklands War to relieve Invincible of its guard duty around the islands.
__hms_illustrious_(r_06).jpg)
In the aftermath of the Falklands, the typical air group was three AEW Sea Kings, nine ASW Sea Kings and eight or nine Sea Harriers. Analysis of the Sea Harrier's performance during the war lead to the requirement for an upgrade, approval for which was granted in 1984. Initially to be known as the FRS.2, the Sea Harrier FA2 entered service on 2 April 1993, deploying on Invincible to Bosnia in 1994. The FA2 featured the Blue Vixen radar which is described as one of the most advanced pulse Doppler radars in the world. The Blue Vixen formed the basis for the Typhoon's
CAPTOR
radar. The FA2 carried the AIM-120 AMRAAM
. The final new build Sea Harrier FA2 was delivered on 18 January 1999. Other improvements were made to the class during the 1980s and early 1990s, with probably the most important being the increase of the ski jump angle on Invincible and Illustrious to match the 12° slope of Ark Royal.
_undergoing_overhaul_and_modernization.jpg)
In recent years, three other changes have been made. One was the removal of the Sea Dart system, creating an increased deck park for aircraft. The Sea Dart magazines were converted to increase air-to-surface weapons stowage, and new aircrew briefing facilities created under the extended flight deck, both to support the embarkation of RAF Harrier GR7s as a routine part of the air group. The ships have all also been fitted to handle the new Merlin
helicopters. The HM1 variant of the Merlin has replaced the HAS6 variant of the Sea King in the carrier borne ASW role. Since the integration of the Harrier GR7, typical deployments have included seven or eight of those aircraft, pushing the Merlin onto the carrier's accompanying Fort-class auxiliaries.
The two most recent wartime deployments of the class have seen them in their secondary LPH role, as it was officially judged that Sea Harriers could provide no useful role in the missions. During those deployments, the class has embarked RAF Chinook helicopters, in lieu of their fixed wing complement.
The Invincibles last refit was in 2004.
and two RAF squadrons until they were retired in 2010. Since then they have only operated helicopters.
Invincible was decommissioned in July 2005, and was mothballed until September 2010. She was put up for sale in November 2010. In early February 2011 it was announced that she had been sold to a Turkish scrapyard, Leyal Ship Recycling; Leyal has been involved in the scrapping of various Royal Navy ships, including the Cardiff
, Newcastle
and Glasgow
and RFA Oakleaf
. The Invincible left Portsmouth under tow for scrapping on 24 March 2011.
Ark Royal took over as the flagship, was planned to be decommissioned in 2016, but retired in 2010 following the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Illustrious remains the only one of the class in service but will also retire once HMS Ocean comes out of its next refit in 2014.
Two much larger s are being built, although whether they will both enter service is unclear. They are expected to displace around 65,000 tonnes each - more than three times the displacement of the Invincible class.
The Paxman Valenta power units used for electrical power generation are similar to the engines originally used in the British Rail Class 43 HST Power cars
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to serve a similar role, and though none were built, a number of foreign small aircraft carriers were based on the concept including: the Thai Chakri Naruebet, the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Spanish Principe de Asturias
.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of light aircraft carrier
Light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...
operated by the British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. Three ships were constructed, , and . The vessels were built as aviation-capable anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) platforms to counter the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
North Atlantic Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
submarine threat, and initially embarked Sea Harrier aircraft and HAS.1 Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
anti-submarine helicopters. With the cancellation of CVA-01
CVA-01
The CVA-01 aircraft carrier was to be a class of at least two fleet carriers that would have replaced the Royal Navy's existing aircraft carriers, most of which had been designed prior to or during World War II....
, the three ships became the replacements for the Audacious
Audacious class aircraft carrier
The Audacious class aircraft carriers were a class of ship proposed by the British government in the 1930s - 1940s.- History :The Audacious class was originally designed as an expansion of the Implacable class with double storied hangars...
and Centaur classes
Centaur class aircraft carrier
The Centaur class of aircraft carriers of the British Royal Navy was the last of the light fleet carrier designs started during the closing years of World War II.-Ships In Class:HMS Centaur...
, and the Royal Navy's sole class of aircraft carrier.
Invincible was decommissioned in 2005 and put in reserve in a low state of readiness. She was sold to a Turkish scrapyard in February 2011, and left Portsmouth under tow on 24 March 2011. Pursuant to the Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
, 2010, Ark Royal followed, decommissioning on 13 March 2011, leaving Illustrious as the sole remaining operational ship.
The three vessels have seen service in a number of locations, including the South Atlantic during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, the Adriatic during the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, and in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Development
The Invincible class has its origins in a sketch design for a 6,000 tonLong ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
, guided-missile armed, helicopter carrying escort cruiser intended as a complement to the much larger CVA-01-class
CVA-01
The CVA-01 aircraft carrier was to be a class of at least two fleet carriers that would have replaced the Royal Navy's existing aircraft carriers, most of which had been designed prior to or during World War II....
fleet aircraft carrier. The cancellation of CVA-01 in 1966 meant that the smaller cruiser would now have to provide the anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) taskforce with command and control
Command and Control (military)
Command and control, or C2, in a military organization can be defined as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission...
facilities. Two new designs were prepared for this requirement; a 12,500 ton cruiser with missiles forward, six Westland Sea King helicopters and a flight deck aft, somewhat similar to the Vittorio Veneto
Italian cruiser Vittorio Veneto
Vittorio Veneto is a helicopter cruiser that served with the Italian Marina Militare, the Italian navy. Originally it was intended to be a class of two ships specifically designed for anti-submarine warfare , but only Vittorio Veneto entered into service in 1969, its sister ship Italia being...
of the Italian Navy
Marina Militare
The Italian Navy is the navy of the Italian Republic. It is one of the four branches of military forces of Italy; formed in 1946, from what remained of the Regia Marina . As of 2008, the Italian Navy had 35,200 active personnel with 180 commissioned ships, 19 Floating Docks, and 123 aircraft...
and a larger 17,500 ton vessel with a "through-deck", nine Sea Kings and missiles right forward. By 1970, the "through-deck" design had advanced into a Naval Staff Requirement for an 18,750 ton Through-Deck Command Cruisers (TDCC).
In February 1963, the Hawker P.1127
Hawker P.1127
The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 were the experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing jet fighter-bomber...
VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft had landed and taken-off from the carrier and the subsequent Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel had undergone trials from the "Commando carrier" (an aircraft carrier operating helicopters) . It was therefore perfectly possible that the new "cruisers" could be used to operate VTOL aircraft. Politics determined that the new ships were carefully termed "through-deck cruisers" and not "aircraft carrier" by the RN; the cancellation of CVA-01 was intended to mean the UK's abandonment of aircraft carriers for good.
Economic problems in the UK in the early 1970s delayed progress on the new ships, but the design continued to evolve. The order for the first ship was given to Vickers (Shipbuilding) on 17 April 1973. By now, the design was for a 19,000 ton "CAH" (helicopter carrying heavy cruiser, styled after the U.S Navy Hull classification symbol
Hull classification symbol
The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration use hull classification symbols to identify their ship types and each individual ship within each type...
s) with up to fourteen aircraft and a Sea Dart missile
Sea Dart missile
Sea Dart or Guided Weapon System 30 is a British surface-to-air missile system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace from 1977...
launcher on the bows.
In May 1975, the Government authorised the maritime version of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, which was successfully developed into the Sea Harrier
BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
. This meant that the design was reworked again to include a small complement of these VTOL
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
aircraft. In order to launch a heavily-laden Harrier more efficiently by STOVL
STOVL
STOVL is an acronym for short take off and vertical landing.This is the ability of some aircraft to take off from a short runway or take off vertically if it does not have a very heavy payload and land vertically...
(short take-off vertical landing) from the comparatively short - 170 m - flight deck
Flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
, a 'ski-jump' was developed. The slope was initially 7° when incorporated into Invincible and Illustrious and 12° for Ark Royal. The class also has, since 1976, a secondary role as an helicopter carrier, or LPH
Landing Platform, Helicopter
LPH is the hull classification used by a number of the world's navies to designate a type of amphibious warfare ship designed primarily to operate as a launch and recovery platform for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft...
, in the reinforcement of NATO's Northern flank in Norway. In 1998 , with a hull form based on that of the Invincible class, was commissioned specifically for this role.
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, CIWS guns were added to the design. Illustrious had them fitted at the last minute before commissioning, Ark Royal had them added as a normal part of the building process, and Invincible had them fitted during her first overhaul after the Falklands. Initially, Invincible and Illustrious were fitted with two Vulcan Phalanx
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
units; these were replaced with three Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper CIWS
Goalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,...
systems. Ark Royal has the three Phalanx CIWS
Phalanx CIWS
The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...
systems she was fitted with when built (she can be easily distinguished from her sisters by the Phalanx's distinctive white "R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
" radome). Electronic countermeasures are provided by a Thales jamming system and ECM system. Seagnat
Seagnat
The Seagnat Control System is a decoy system used on many NATO warships to safeguard against incoming missiles...
launchers provide for chaff or flare decoys. As part of upgrades during the mid 1990s, all three ships had the Sea Dart removed, with the forecastle filled in to increase the size of the flight deck.
Construction Programme
| Pennant Pennant number In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers... |
Name | (a) Hull builder | Ordered | Laid down | Launched | Accepted into service |
Commissioned | Decommissioned | Estimated building cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R05 | Invincible HMS Invincible (R05) HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when... |
(a) Vickers Armstrong, Barrow. | 17 April 1973 | 20 July 1973 | 3 May 1977 | 19 March 1980 | 11 July 1980 | 3 August 2005 | £185,500,000 |
| R06 | Illustrious HMS Illustrious (R06) HMS Illustrious is the second of three Invincible-class light aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is the fifth warship and second aircraft carrier to bear the name Illustrious, and is affectionately known as "Lusty" to her crew... |
(a) Swan Hunter | May 1976 | 7 October 1976 | 1 December 1978 | 18 June 1982 | 20 June 1982 | planned 2014 | £215,400,000 |
| R07 | Ark Royal HMS Ark Royal (R07) HMS Ark Royal is a decommissioned light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible-class... |
(a) Swan Hunter | December 1978 | 14 December 1978 | 2 June 1981 | 2 July 1985 | 1 November 1985 | 11 March 2011 | £332,900,000 |
Falklands War
Prior to 1982, Invincible's air group consisted purely of Sea King HAS.5 anti-submarine helicopters and Sea Harrier FRS.1BAE Sea Harrier
The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval VTOL/STOVL jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft, a development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier. It first entered service with the Royal Navy in April 1980 as the Sea Harrier FRS1 and became informally known as the "Shar"...
aircraft. Typically, nine Sea Kings, and four or five Sea Harriers were embarked. This was due to the fact that the originally envisioned mission for the ships was to provide the heart of ASW hunter-killer groups in the North Atlantic during a war against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. In that context, the main weapon of the carrier would not be its fighter aircraft, but its ASW helicopters. The fighters were on board to shoot down the occasional Soviet maritime patrol aircraft nosing around the ship and its escorts.
The Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
changed that posture, since it proved that Britain needed to retain the capability to use carrier air power in its traditional role of power projection
Power projection
Power projection is a term used in military and political science to refer to the capacity of a state to conduct expeditionary warfare, i.e. to intimidate other nations and implement policy by means of force, or the threat thereof, in an area distant from its own territory.This ability is a...
, both over land, and against enemy fleets. The Falklands War saw Invincible, and the larger and older filled to capacity with both the Sea Harrier and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Harrier GR3 ground attack variant of the aircraft, along with ASW helicopters. The RAF Harriers proved to be a temporary aberration at the time. However a permanent addition to the usual air group was made due to lessons learnt during the war: the Sea King AEW2A (Airborne Early Warning
Airborne Early Warning
An airborne early warning and control system is an airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft at long ranges and control and command the battle space in an air engagement by directing fighter and attack plane strikes...
) version. Illustrious carried the first examples of the type when it was rushed south in the aftermath of the Falklands War to relieve Invincible of its guard duty around the islands.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
CAPTOR
Euroradar CAPTOR
The Euroradar CAPTOR is a next generation mechanical multi-mode pulse doppler radar designed for the Eurofighter Typhoon.The radar is produced by the Euroradar consortium and is a development of the BAE Systems Blue Vixen radar which had been developed for the BAE Sea Harrier...
radar. The FA2 carried the AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-120 AMRAAM
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...
. The final new build Sea Harrier FA2 was delivered on 18 January 1999. Other improvements were made to the class during the 1980s and early 1990s, with probably the most important being the increase of the ski jump angle on Invincible and Illustrious to match the 12° slope of Ark Royal.
Modernisation
AgustaWestland EH101
The AgustaWestland AW101 is a medium-lift helicopter for military applications but also marketed for civil use. The helicopter was developed as a joint venture between Westland Helicopters in the UK and Agusta in Italy...
helicopters. The HM1 variant of the Merlin has replaced the HAS6 variant of the Sea King in the carrier borne ASW role. Since the integration of the Harrier GR7, typical deployments have included seven or eight of those aircraft, pushing the Merlin onto the carrier's accompanying Fort-class auxiliaries.
The two most recent wartime deployments of the class have seen them in their secondary LPH role, as it was officially judged that Sea Harriers could provide no useful role in the missions. During those deployments, the class has embarked RAF Chinook helicopters, in lieu of their fixed wing complement.
The Invincibles last refit was in 2004.
Future
The Sea Harrier was officially retired on 1 April 2006. The principal weapon of the Invincible-class carriers then became the Harrier GR9 flown by two Fleet Air ArmFleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
and two RAF squadrons until they were retired in 2010. Since then they have only operated helicopters.
Invincible was decommissioned in July 2005, and was mothballed until September 2010. She was put up for sale in November 2010. In early February 2011 it was announced that she had been sold to a Turkish scrapyard, Leyal Ship Recycling; Leyal has been involved in the scrapping of various Royal Navy ships, including the Cardiff
HMS Cardiff (D108)
HMS Cardiff was a British Type 42 destroyer and the third ship of the Royal Navy to be named in honour of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff. Construction was started by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and completed by Swan Hunter in Tyne and Wear...
, Newcastle
HMS Newcastle (D87)
The eighth HMS Newcastle was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy, launched in 1975.In November 1997, Newcastle made her way to the Caribbean to assume duties as West Indies Guard Ship "WIGS"...
and Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (D88)
HMS Glasgow was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. The last of the Batch 1 Type 42 destoyers, Glasgow was commissioned in 1977. The destroyer fought during the Falklands War, and on 12 May 1982 was damaged by bombs from Argentine A-4 Skyhawks. Glasgow operated with the INTERFET peacekeeping...
and RFA Oakleaf
RFA Oakleaf (A111)
The RFA Oakleaf is a Leaf-class fleet support tanker, formerly of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and the second ship to bear the name.Formerly the Swedish vessel MV Oktania, built by A. B...
. The Invincible left Portsmouth under tow for scrapping on 24 March 2011.
Ark Royal took over as the flagship, was planned to be decommissioned in 2016, but retired in 2010 following the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Illustrious remains the only one of the class in service but will also retire once HMS Ocean comes out of its next refit in 2014.
Two much larger s are being built, although whether they will both enter service is unclear. They are expected to displace around 65,000 tonnes each - more than three times the displacement of the Invincible class.
Specification
- Length: 689 ft (210 m)
- Beam: 118.1 ft (36 m)
- Draught: 28.9 ft (8.8 m)
- Displacement: 16,970 tons standard; 20,710 tons full load
- Crew: Ships crew: 650. Air crew: 350. Capacity for additional 500 royal marines
- Power: 4 x Rolls-Royce OlympusRolls-Royce OlympusThe Rolls-Royce Olympus was one of the world's first two-spool axial-flow turbojet aircraft engines, originally developed and produced by Bristol Aero Engines. First running in 1950, its initial use was as the powerplant of the Avro Vulcan V Bomber...
gas turbines (COGAG) 100,000 shp (75 MW), 8 Paxman ValentaPaxman ValentaThe Paxman Valenta was an engine that was made by Paxman diesels for the HST , and is still in use in various marine applications, such as the Upholder/Victoria class submarine....
diesel generators. - Speed: 28 knots (55 km/h), 18 knots (35 km/h) cruising
- Range: 7000 nmi (12,964 km) at 18 knots (35 km/h)
The Paxman Valenta power units used for electrical power generation are similar to the engines originally used in the British Rail Class 43 HST Power cars
HMS Invincible
- Builders: Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-FurnessBarrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
- Laid down: 20 July 1973
- Launched: 8 May 1977 (List)
- Operator: Royal Navy
- Commissioned: 11 July 1980 (List)
- Decommissioned: 3 August 2005 (List)
- Status: was mothballed until September 2010 and then scrapped in 2011
- Modifications: Lengthened flight deck, removal of Sea DartSea Dart missileSea Dart or Guided Weapon System 30 is a British surface-to-air missile system designed by Hawker Siddeley Dynamics and built by British Aerospace from 1977...
SAMSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
, addition of three Goalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,... - Operations: Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, Operation Deny FlightOperation Deny FlightOperation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Operation Deliberate Force, Operation Bolton, Operation Allied ForceOperation Allied ForceThe NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999... - Victories: 21 Argentine aircraft during Falklands WarFalklands WarThe Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
HMS Illustrious
- Builders: Swan Hunter on the River TyneRiver TyneThe River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
- Laid down: 7 October 1976
- Launched: 14 December 1978 (List)
- Operator: Royal Navy
- Commissioned: 20 June 1982 (List)
- Status: In active service, based at PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
- Modifications: Lengthened flight deck, removal of Sea Dart SAM, addition of three Goalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper CIWSGoalkeeper is a Dutch close-in weapon system introduced in 1979 and in use , which primarily defends ships against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. This system consists of an autocannon and an advanced radar which in typically six seconds detects incoming fire, determines its trajectory,...
- Operations: BosniaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Operation PalliserOperation PalliserOperation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards.Initially, its scope was limited to evacuation of non-combatants only....
, Evacuation of British Citizens from Beirut (Israeli-Lebanon Conflict 2006)
HMS Ark Royal
- Builders: Swan Hunter in WallsendWallsendWallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
- Laid down: 14 December 1978
- Launched: 2 June 1981 (List)
- Operator: Royal Navy
- Commissioned: 1 November 1985 (List)
- Status: Decommissioned (January 2011)
- Modifications: Enlarged flight deck, removal of Sea Dart SAMSurface-to-air missileA surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
, addition of three Phalanx CIWSPhalanx CIWSThe Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division... - Operations: 1993-1994 Operation Deny FlightOperation Deny FlightOperation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization operation that began on April 12, 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
- Operation TelicOperation TelicOperation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
See also
The United States designed the Sea Control ShipSea Control Ship
The Sea Control Ship was a small aircraft carrier developed and conceptualized by the United States Navy under Chief of Naval Operations Elmo Zumwalt during the 1970s. Currently the term refers to naval vessels that can perform similar duties. The SCS was intended as an escort vessel, providing...
to serve a similar role, and though none were built, a number of foreign small aircraft carriers were based on the concept including: the Thai Chakri Naruebet, the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Spanish Principe de Asturias
Spanish aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias
The Príncipe de Asturias , originally named Almirante Carrero Blanco, is an aircraft carrier, the flagship of the Spanish Navy...
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