HMS Ark Royal retired

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:20 am

The extremly tight British budget issues have forced the HMS Ark Royal (fifth ship to carry the name over the Centuries) to be decommisioned as a money saving exercise.

Old SAR pilot · **Posted:** Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:17 pm

That's not the only thing going away. Also all of the Harriers as well as the R1 Sentinal system, the Nimrod MRA4s, and the Nimrod R1s (this one being replaced by an Anglicized RC-135 Rivet Joint).

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sun Jan 23, 2011 1:26 pm

And aren't the Chinese refitting the HMS Invincible bought as a gutted hulk into a 'trainer' carrier?

JDK · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:29 am

The Inspector wrote:

And aren't the Chinese refitting the HMS Invincible bought as a gutted hulk into a 'trainer' carrier?

Britain, Russia, what's the difference? :lol:

You're correct with the Russian Varyag, although there may have been a desire to do the same with Invincible, the Chinese businessman's purchase hasn't gone through.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Chi ... ft_carrier

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Invincible_%28R05%29

The irony of the defence cutbacks in the UK is the literally MAD desire to hang onto their 'nuclear deterrent' non-tactical nukes (that there's no conceivable case for using) and losing many of the tactical and strategic tools Old SAR pilot's listed. Can't face losing the big-boy's club membership, so selling the cutlery used to eat with. :roll:

My opinion only, of course.

Regards,

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:19 am

So it's the boxing philosophy, if the smaller guy can get inside the taller guys effective range (his full stroke punch) then the smaller guy has the advantage with the opponents body exposed and poorly defended. The Scottish Sword, Dirk, Dagger idea that no matter how near or far, I can still do you serious injury.

JDK · **Posted:** Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:00 pm

Ah, well that clears it up... :rolleyes:

Which - boxing or Glasgae knife fights? Trust me; The Marquis of Queensberry would've lasted 3 seconds in the back streets of Scotland's fine cities.

The Scottish view is a lot to do with always fighting; with yersel' if no scunner else pla. Not a good plan with nukes.

Just another reason why nuclear deterrence and MAD has nothing to do with any other theories of warfare. But I'm sure your suggestion is the level that the British Government is operating on. :wink:

Regards,

agent86 · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 3:57 am **Posts:** 926

The next time that Argentina gets upity about the Falklands."Islas Malvinas" The UK contingency plan is to place a plywood deck onto an oil tanker and fly piper cubs armed with sidewinders.downsizing really sucks

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 8:18 pm

They'll have to contract it out-Maybe they can get Bruce and Sly, and Der Guvinator to 'do a deal' using Segal and Van Dame as pawns................

goshikisen · **Posted:** Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:32 pm

I was under the impression the Varyag was sold by the Ukraine to a businessman from Hong Kong who wanted to turn it into a floating Casino in Macau. Now a Chinese businessman wants to turn Invincible into a floating school? If there's a pattern we'd probably find Invincible being adopted by the PLAN.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 12:16 pm

No, as in USS Wolverine or USS Sable, a pilot training aircraft carrier

eze240 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:32 pm **Posts:** 117

The chinese have been working to develope a carrier as part of their plan to achieve a "parity" with the US.
If you look up chinese aircraft carrier on wiki....I know, not the most correct/reliable info....
you will find that they've been buying pretty much anything they could get since the mid eighties when they bought the Australian carrier Melbourne. They do it thru various schemes- ie: business man buys it for a "casino".....That business man just happens to have ties to their military of course.
Looks to me as though they've determined what direction to go in- US style or Russian style and are building one or more of their own, but from the info out there, no civilian people know how close they are to completion.....I would hope/assume the US military knows exactly where they are at.
The really scary questions are: what do they plan to do with those ships? and Do we really think they are our friends?

BB-61 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:45 pm

HMS Invincible was just sold to Turkish breakers:
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defenc ... _1_2393126

BB-61

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HMS Ark Royal retired

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