UK aircraft carrier HMS Invincible decommissioned; to be bought by India (?)

One of the navy's three aircraft carriers sailed into Portsmouth for the last time on Monday before retiring after 25 years of service.
A flypast took place as HMS Invincible arrived into port, before being decommissioned on 3 August.

The crew and more than 200 family members were on board to say farewell.

Critics have raised concerns that her retirement has left the navy with only one aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, while HMS Ark Royal undergoes a refit.

full article....


and in most probability its going to India :

HMS invincible haeded for the Indian Navy
www.globalsecurity.org...
www.indiadefence.com...


India's present aircraft carriers :

> INS Vikrant (rt)
> INS Viraat - 32 Sea Harriers+ Ka-31 Helix-B+Sea King Mk.42B + Ka-28 Helix-A+Sea King Mk.42C
> INS Virkamadithya power projection carrier(to arrive from Russia in 2007/2008 after new refit of latest systens)- 40 Mig-29K's + E-2C Hawkeye 2000 AWACS + mix of Ka-28 ASW helicopters and Ka-31 AEW helicopters + few HAL Dhruv/Sea King
> Indegenous carrier ADS (service in 2010): 16 Naval LCA combat aircrafts+ 10 HAL Dhruv + 2 Ka-31 AEW



So there goes the star of the Falkans wars.



[edit on 2-8-2005 by Stealth Spy]

^^A piper plays as the former flagship of the Royal Navy HMS Invincible sails into Portsmouth on Monday for the last time before it is decommissioned.



^^Captain Neil Morisetti, commander of HMS Invincible, takes one last walk across the flight deck.


^^A crew member waves a final farewell.


^^ Two Lynx helicopters perform a final flypast


^^The crew are dismissed for the last time after HMS Invincible reaches her final destination.


^^ Salute


^^Crew disembark for the very last time

[edit on 2-8-2005 by Stealth Spy]

It will be replaced with the futurisric HMS Queen Elizabeth which will enter service in 2012. It will be able to operate about 50 aircraft (stealthy F-35's) and will have a displacement of around 60,000 tonnes.

The HMS Illustrious will also be retired in some time and will be replaced by another 60,ooo ton displacement carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales which will enter service in 2015

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Invincible was launched by the Queen in 1977 and, during its deployment in the Falklands war, the Duke of York was based on board as a Sea King helicopter pilot.

It underwent a £64million refit in 2001 and acted as the Royal Navy’s flagship in June’s International Fleet Review.

Captain Neil Morisetti, Invincible’s commanding officer, said: "These events provide an excellent opportunity for HMS Invincible to celebrate not only her 25 years of service but also the hard work and dedication shown by members of the ship’s company past and present, and the continued support given by their families throughout her long and distinguished career."

Following the de-commissioning, Invincible will be handed over to the MoD’s Disposal and Reserve Ships Organisation which will mothball it until it is sold in 2010.

read more ... www.thesun.co.uk...

nice pix mate
well i dont think india india should go for it, as its not for sale till 2010 by the time india will be having 2 more carriers anyway...
The early retirement of HMS Invincible has made Royal Navy less powerful as compared to other european counterparts.

i think after a major refit (the good old indian/russian/isreal tech) she should be good enough for india
1
except the harriers, they are getting a little old, get rid of them

Originally posted by siddarthpanditv
i think after a major refit (the good old indian/russian/isreal tech) she should be good enough for india
1
except the harriers, they are getting a little old, get rid of them

and replace them with what??

what other aircraft type can use the ski-jump?

nothing US made thats for sure (F-35 isn`t ready for a while yet)

and major refit? with what? it allready has phalanx - the sea dart was removed to increase the length of the flight deck - so there is a possible point there for a missile system of some sort

but , she does have very good equipment allready.

I doubt India will go for this. the Invincible is a bit long in the tooth, and money can be better spent elsewhere. Unless it will be reconfiged as an ASW ship, I don't see it fitting IN expansion plans

Rajkhalsa2004....good idea ASW, or possibly a refit on the lines of an assault ship like HMS Ocean.

RN Assault Ships

Spacemunkey

Its primary role was Lead ship for ASW work - that and it has darn good command and control equipment on board.

And long in the tooth?? not as much as the 60 year old Hermes (viraant) thats for sure!!

I'm surprised, I didn't think for a second Britain had only three carriers. Wonder if their building 3-4 more new models?

Dallas

no , there building only 2 - much larger though

Any more news ?


Are India getting Invincible?

Yes, very nice pics...

I've always admired the British carriers for not using the same "launching system" as the Americans, they have the nose that rises, insted of having a system that throws the plane in the air... Auch, that must be bad for the tires...

erm , it was the brits which invented 3 of the most widely used carrier features :

www.stevenwillingale.com...

However I believe Britain’s greatest carrier achievements were the Angled Flight Deck, Mirror Projector Landing Sight and the Steam Catapult. Whilst these inventions are no longer in use by the Royal Navy, they can still be found on American and French carriers

India always seem to get second hand british ships and stuff them up with russian weaponry and equipment. Wasnt the SEPECAT Jaguar used on carriers once?, India use them so why dont they put them into naval use?

Doesnt india get russian planes and ships too?

I think the Carrier based jaguar M was a pure french venture which never really happened and was replaced by the super etenard.

frenchnavy.free.fr...

pictures there of the prototype jaguar M

Originally posted by Daedalus3
I think the Carrier based jaguar M was a pure french venture which never really happened and was replaced by the super etenard.

The Jaguar is basically a single seater F-4 Phantom, dont you boyz think that too? well it sort of does have a resembelance from the back.

Would the Jaguar be capable of taking off from the invincible?, maybe it could do becouse the ramp should build the speed up to launch it off the deck, it could also be revamped with burner plates like on the US carriers.

Wasnt the russian carriers at one time only able to carry Yak VTOL planes?
Anyway they have been revamped to carry MIG-29s and SU-27s

Could this be done to the Virrat and the Invincible by fitting a larger flight deck like what the americans done to thier Essex class carriers?

[edit on 19-11-2005 by Browno]

Originally posted by Browno
]The Jaguar is basically a single seater F-4 Phantom, dont you boyz think that too? well it sort of does have a resembelance from the back.

I think the resemblance you mentioned is all thats common to the F-4 and Jaguar.
I don't know much about the F-4 but the Jaguar is...well..phenomenal..
Check out something called Cope Thunder.

As for any INS carrier carrying Jags, its out of the question.
Not happening..
There are better/cheaper options around, and the Jaguar is well suited in its current role in the IAF, even for maritime operations.
Infact there's been NO gossip abt this HMS Invincible bit in the IN and usually such a probable sale has rumors circulating.
So IMHO no HMS invincible for IN and hence no Jags on it.