HMS Invincible UK Aircraft Carrier to be turned into school?

Just read this article and thought it was quite interesting. It seems that a Hong Kong business man has offered to pay £5 million for the vessel and plans to turn it into a school if he has the winning bid.
uk.news.yahoo.com...

I am British and being proud of that I am in two minds. HMS invincible has history with her service in the Falklands and was the Royal Navys flagship. Should It stay in the UK?
en.wikipedia.org...(R05)

On the other hand, (what I really feel) It would be wonderful for this ship to be turned into a school. In a place like Hong Kong where land is much sort after it seems the perfect opportunity .
So from being a killing machine (with some humanitarian missions I am sure) to being a place where children can be educated is a little strange, yet seems like a step in the right direction.

There are thousands of ships around the world just sitting there rusting(merchant as well as military).
These should be sold off cheaply and turned into schools, hospitals and accommodation for the poor and needy around the world (I am sure some have) as it is such a waste. Why not benefit fellow humans?
What do you lot think?
Regards

This is an incredibly powerful metaphor for the direction our global society needs to take in order to promote a conscious effort to evolve past petty conflict into an age where the proper education of our children (and of ourselves for that matter) is seen as essential as the wars we force them to fight today. Shows that no matter how messed up the global elite lets things get the silent majority is always one small modification away from a better world.

I would be very concerned over selling an aircraft carrier to china. This seems to be the epitome of shortsightedness to even consider it.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776


Reading the article it says that the vessel will be totally stripped down. So will just be the basic hull. No weapon systems etc. I am sure china is fully capable of developing their own carriers if they so choose.
In fact they have already acquired 4 aircraft carriers for study. HMAS Melbourne and the ex-Soviet carriers Minsk, Kiev and Varyag .
I am sure they will have a look at the basic structure and things but if it going to be used as a school in the end that is a good thing is it not?

I think it is brilliant to turn her into a school,

tho I did suggest on another thread a little while ago (discussing Chinese carriers) that China might want her given that she seems to match some sort of interest in carriers with ski jumps.

I would be wary to sell any type of ship capable of aggression to China. They have also bought a couple former Soviet aircraft carriers in the guise turning them into floating casinos and the like, yet now they are being retrofitted. Tread lightly Great Britain. Don't Do it!!!
Soviet Aircraft Carrier Varyag

reply to post by Crunkman919


And notice how she also has a ski jump
Perhaps this simply shows their hand in that they working on some sort of ST/VTOL aircraft

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Its not a ski ramp its a skateboard ramp for the school
The Chinese are going to develop and aircraft carrier anyway and why shouldn't they? America being the world police may be challenged but that is not necessarily a bad thing is it?
Take Care Regards

reply to post by Crunkman919
This is my point. They will lie about what they are going to use this thing for. Why not just buy an old cruise ship? Why do they need a ship with a flight deck?

Originally posted by maythetruthbeknown
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

Its not a ski ramp its a skateboard ramp for the school

The Chinese are going to develop and aircraft carrier anyway and why shouldn't they? America being the world police may be challenged but that is not necessarily a bad thing is it?
Take Care Regards

I have no problems with her being sold to China.. tho would be good if she was a floating school in Hong Kong especially given Hong Kongs links to Britain

The Invincible class even in their prime lacked a decent air defence system... perhaps outfitting her class with Aster 15s for short range defence would have helped in the modern age, but I'm not sure that would have been possible.

Last year Ark Royal had (for the first time) her own flight of Lynx (Maritime attack version) which is about as close as we can come to arming the class with a decent defence/offence system.

But I do feel this move to purchase Invincible is indicative that the Chinese are intent to develop a naval VTOL/STOVL.. Tho IMHO Sea Harrier FA2 still the best in their class..

Sea Harrier

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Our harriers are such a wonderful inventive piece of British engineering. It is a shame they have been decommissioned and an even greater one that they were created to kill other humans.
If only we put that much effort into developing technology that benefits man kind.
Take Care
regards

Originally posted by maythetruthbeknown
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

Our harriers are such a wonderful inventive piece of British engineering. It is a shame they have been decommissioned and an even greater one that they were created to kill other humans.
If only we put that much effort into developing technology that benefits man kind.
Take Care
regards

Yes, they come from the time of Concorde, and the magical cross channel hover craft.. a great age for our country, shame we no longer invest in ourselves or our own industry.

I still love the lines of the de Havilland DH 106 Comet.. such a beautiful aircraft..