HMS Ark Royal (R07) explained

HMS Ark Royal was a light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy.[1] She was the third and final vessel of the . 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 and into service in 1985.

Affectionately known as The Mighty Ark, she is the fifth Royal Navy ship to have borne the name of the 1587 flagship that defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588.[2] Originally intended to be named [3] to match the rest of the class, this was changed due to the public reaction to the loss of the Ark Royal name after the scrapping of the previous Ark Royal in 1980, after 30 years' service.[4] [5]

Slightly larger than her sister ships, and with a steeper ski-jump ramp, Ark Royal carried the STOVL (short take off and vertical landing) Harrier jump jet aircraft, as well as various helicopters. With a crew complement of over 1,000 sailors and aviators, she saw active service in the 1990s Bosnian War and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.

Originally due to be retired in 2016, Ark Royal was instead decommissioned on 11 March 2011, as part of the Navy restructuring portion of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.[6] After Ark Royals decommissioning, replaced her as the Royal Navy flagship.[7] Ark Royal was sold for scrap to the Turkish company Leyal Ship Recycling and left Portsmouth in May 2013.[8]

Construction

The aircraft carrier's keel was laid by Swan Hunter at Wallsend on 7 December 1978. She was launched on 2 June 1981[9] sponsored by The Queen Mother and commissioned on 1 November 1985. Originally intended as in line with her sister ships and, public resentment at the scrapping of the previous (the UK's last large aircraft carrier up to that date) in 1980 led the Royal Navy to announce that the name would be revived on the new ship. The unfinished Ark Royal was reportedly offered for sale to the Royal Australian Navy in 1981.[10] HMS Invincible was later offered for sale instead.

Operational history

1990–1999

Ark Royal was deployed in 1993 to the Adriatic Sea during the Bosnian War under the command of Captain Terry Loughran RN (later rear admiral). In May 1999, she was put into Rosyth for refitting, which included the removal of the Sea Dart surface-to-air missiles and covering over of the foredeck to allow for an enlarged deck park for aircraft.

2000–2009

She was recommissioned on 22 November 2001 by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She sailed to the Persian Gulf for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. She was commanded by Captain Alan Massey (later Vice Admiral and Second Sea Lord) and sailed with a complement consisting of helicopters alone rather than her usual mix of helicopters and Harrier aircraft. During one of the operations in the war, two Westland Sea King helicopters from 849 Naval Air Squadron collided with each other in mid-air, resulting in the loss of six British and one American.[11] Her deployment to the gulf was filmed throughout by Shine TV for a Channel 5 documentary entitled 'Ark Royal'.

In April 2004, Ark Royal entered into extended readiness, following which she entered refit with the Illustrious returning to service. Once her refit was completed, she received a new captain (Captain Mike Mansergh) in August 2006. Ark Royal then returned to Portsmouth to rejoin the fleet on 28 October 2006, where she underwent ten weeks of training and sea trials before being utilised as a landing platform helicopter, replacing while she underwent a refit. On 16 November 2006, a British Army WAH-64 Apache attack helicopter landed on Ark Royal for the first time marking an increase in the carrier's capability.[12]

On 22 March 2007, Ark Royal was returned to the Royal Navy Fleet after a two-year refit worth £18 million. In May 2007, she once again became the Fleet Flagship, reclaiming the title from her sister ship, Illustrious, which had been flagship since the end of her refit in 2005. On 31 July 2008, Mansergh was relieved as captain by Captain John Clink.[13] In October 2008, Ark Royal was a participant in Exercise Joint Warrior 08-2. In January 2009, Ark Royal visited Liverpool and then the River Tyne, where she was built. Her voyage from Portsmouth to Liverpool was made with 108 Cadets from the Sea Cadet Corps and the Combined Cadet Force embarked.[14]

2010–2011

During the air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption, the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, assigned Ark Royal and Ocean to rescue stranded travellers across the English Channel in Operation Cunningham.[15] In June 2010, Ark Royal was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to take part in the Royal Canadian Navy Centennial Celebrations, where she was visited by Prime Minister David Cameron on his way to the G20 summit in Toronto. During this time, an V-22 Osprey visited the ship, again increasing its capabilities.

On 19 October 2010, BBC News reported that the ship was to be decommissioned and scrapped earlier than expected, as part of the coalition government's spending review, and that an 8% cut to the British defence budget was expected to be announced later that week, only to be replaced in the long run with .[16] [17] A campaign was begun in November 2010 to retain the name Ark Royal for one of the new carriers.[18] On 3 December 2010, the amphibious warfare ship was announced as Ark Royals successor as the Royal Navy's flagship.[19] In recognition of the ship's decommissioning, Portsmouth F.C. added the ship's motto to its 2011/12 season kit.[20]

On the evening of 19 October, the ship arrived at Portsmouth ready to be decommissioned and laid up.[21] On 5 November she was visited by Queen Elizabeth at Portsmouth[22] before sailing to Loch Long for the removal of all her munitions. She then left the River Clyde on 17 November[23] [24] on her final voyage before decommissioning, visiting North Shields on 18–22 November[25] and Hamburg for five days from 25 November. The latter was her last overseas visit, repeating a previous one in 2007.[26] During the voyage, she launched four Harrier GR9s for the last time in the North Sea on 24 November.[27]

Final air wing 2010
SquadronAircraft typeNumber of
aircraft		Role
800 NASHarrier GR94Strike
1 Sqn
814 NASMerlin HM17Anti-Submarine Warfare
854 NASSea King ASaC73Airborne Surveillance and Control

The ship then sailed from Hamburg back into Portsmouth, arriving at 9.40 am on 3 December 2010 flying a decommissioning pennant.[28] A Harrier flypast to mark the occasion was planned, but was postponed due to bad weather.[29] A farewell parade by her captain and crew was held in Guildhall Square in Portsmouth on 22 January 2011[30] [31] and another in Leeds, the latter being a Freedom of the City parade.[32] Her formal decommissioning occurred at Portsmouth on 11 March 2011.[33] She was then to have sailed to Rosyth or Govan,[34] [35] [36] but was instead de-stored at Portsmouth in late March after her decommissioning, with her last crew members leaving her by 25 May.[37]

Disposal

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated on 1 December 2010 that, "All options are being considered in terms of what happens to the Ark Royal after it is decommissioned. We might also look at scrapping it, selling it or recycling it." Other options explored were to moor her as a hotel, casino, museum ship or visitor attraction at the Royal Docks in east London or at Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire,[37] [38] along the lines of or . The annual cost of running the ship as a museum was estimated at £1 million.[39] Another option explored was to moor her as a floating helipad in London's Royal Albert Dock,[40] though that would have been against the London Plan to create no new helipads in London.[41] Another option considered was to turn Ark Royal into a hospital ship with the ability to respond to humanitarian disasters.[42] The possibility of scuttling Ark Royal off the Devonshire coast as an artificial reef was also discussed.[43]

On 28 March 2011, the Ministry of Defence placed the decommissioned Ark Royal up for sale by auction, with 6 July as the final date for tenders.[44] In June 2012, the MoD confirmed it had not reached a decision on the sale of the ship, following the submission of bids nearly a year previously.[45] In September 2012, the announcement was made that the ship had been sold to Leyal Ship Recycling in Turkey for scrapping, for the sum of £2.9m.[46] Ark Royal left Portsmouth on 20 May 2013 to be taken to Leyal Ship Recycling.[47] The ship was towed to scrapyard on 10 June 2013 in Aliağa.[48]

Affiliations

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Profile: Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. BBC. 18 October 2010. 3 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140711101143/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11571013. 11 July 2014. live.
  2. Web site: Might HMS Ark Royal's final farewell . https://archive.today/20141003181206/http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/might-hms-ark-royals-final-1422976/ . dead . 3 October 2014 . ChronicleLive . Sunday Sun . 21 November 2010 . 3 October 2014 .
  3. £150m cruiser contractor from Swan Hunter . Business and Finance. 25 May 1978 . 21 . 60310.
  4. Web site: R 07 HMS Ark Royal . seaforces-online . 17 March 2022.
  5. Web site: HMS Ark Royal R07 . Ark Royal . 17 March 2022.
  6. News: Final farewell for decommissioned warship HMS Ark Royal . . 11 March 2011 . 11 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110311052843/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12706441 . 11 March 2011 . live .
  7. News: Plymouth-based HMS Albion becomes Royal Navy flagship . BBC . BBC News . 3 December 2010 . 16 March 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101206045359/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11911535 . 6 December 2010 . live .
  8. News: Ark Royal leaves Portsmouth for scrap yard . BBC News . 20 May 2013 . 26 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160105020714/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-22541019 . 5 January 2016 . live .
  9. Hobbs & Smith 1986, p.20
  10. Daily Telegraph, 16 June 1981
  11. News: Duke's tribute to Royal Navy dead. BBC News. 19 October 2010. 22 March 2003. https://web.archive.org/web/20060527154837/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2875009.stm. 27 May 2006. live.
  12. Web site: TÜV Product Service Industry News: 'New' Ark Royal takes Apache on board . 23 November 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070615160930/http://www.tuvps.co.uk/news/articles/new-ark-royal-takes-apache-on-board-17966686.asp . 15 June 2007 . live .
  13. Web site: HMS Ark Royal Arrives Home . 18 August 2008 . Royal Navy . 14 August 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080821040059/http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.13504/changeNav/6568 . 21 August 2008 .
  14. Web site: Cadets taste life at sea aboard the Ark. https://archive.today/20110611055758/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/359-cadets-taste-life-at-sea-aboard-the-ark.aspx. dead . 11 June 2011 .
  15. News: European Countries Agree to Resume Air Traffic . Fox News . 19 April 2010 . 19 April 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100421121443/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/04/19/uk-deploys-royal-navy-warships/ . 21 April 2010 . live .
  16. News: Defence review: HMS Ark Royal to be scrapped. BBC. BBC News. 19 October 2010. 19 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101019043002/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11570593. 19 October 2010. live.
  17. News: UK to Cut 37,000 Forces Jobs and Decommission the Ark Royal. 24 Hour Trading Ltd. The Global Herald. 21 October 2010. 21 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101024030841/http://theglobalherald.com/uk-to-cut-37000-forces-jobs-and-decommission-the-ark-royal/6198/. 24 October 2010. dead.
  18. News: Campaign to keep HMS Ark Royal's name . James Moore . . 30 November 2010 . 2 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110715203736/http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2010/11/30/campaign-to-keep-hms-ark-royal-s-name-72703-27739407/ . 15 July 2011 . live .
  19. News: Plymouth-based HMS Albion becomes Royal Navy flagship. 3 December 2010. BBC News. 20 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181015200725/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-11911535. 15 October 2018. live.
  20. http://www.portsmouthfc.co.uk/LatestNews/news/New-Away-Kit-Available-To-Pre-Order-2262.aspx
  21. Web site: British Forces News: HMS Ark Royal arrives in Portsmouth. Youtube. BFN. 19 October 2010. 20 October 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017060204/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBl1tmKbAsc. 17 October 2015. live.
  22. News: Queen bids farewell to carrier HMS Ark Royal . BBC News . 5 November 2010 . 20 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151017060204/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11701826 . 17 October 2015 . live .
  23. Web site: ARK ROYAL : Final Voyage From The Clyde . Shipping Times . 18 November 2011 . 3 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140904071440/http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10307.html . 4 September 2014 . live .
  24. News: Sadness as Ark Royal bids a last farewell to Scotland . The Herald Scotland . 17 November 2010 . 3 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141011091921/http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/sadness-as-ark-royal-bids-a-last-farewell-to-scotland-1.1068877 . 11 October 2014 . live .
  25. News: HMS Ark Royal makes final visit to Tyneside . BBC News . 16 November 2010 . 20 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171130204102/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-11771176 . 30 November 2017 . live .
  26. News: Großbritanniens berühmtestes Kriegsschiff auf Abschiedsbesuch (Great Britain's most famous warship makes a farewell visit) . Gunter Stiller . . 25 November 2010 . 2 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111128205744/http://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/article1706715/Grossbritanniens-beruehmtestes-Kriegsschiff-auf-Abschiedsbesuch.html . 28 November 2011 . live .
  27. News: Richard Norton-Taylor. Harriers jump off Ark Royal for last time. The Guardian. 25 November 2010. London. 17 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160927191439/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/nov/24/harrier-ark-royal-last-time. 27 September 2016. live.
  28. News: Ark Royal arrives home . . 3 December 2010 . 3 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101206040344/http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Ark-Royal-arrives-home.6648680.jp . 6 December 2010 . live .
  29. News: HMS Ark Royal returns home after final voyage . Steven Morris . The Guardian . 3 December 2010 . 4 December 2010 . London . https://web.archive.org/web/20141019234017/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/dec/03/ark-royal-final-voyage . 19 October 2014 . live .
  30. News: Parade planned for Ark Royal crew. The News. 25 November 2010. 8 December 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101128211628/http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Parade-planned-for-Ark-Royal.6640051.jp. 28 November 2010. live.
  31. News: Ark Royal says farewell to her home city. 24 January 2011. Navy News. 18 February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110131084051/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1044-ark-royal-says-farewell-to-her-home-city.aspx. 31 January 2011. dead.
  32. News: HMS Ark Royal's final parade through Leeds. 10 February 2011. BBC News. 18 February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110202231421/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/leeds/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9369000/9369522.stm. 2 February 2011. live.
  33. News: Final farewell for decommissioned warship HMS Ark Royal. 11 March 2011. BBC News. 20 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180728052531/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12706441. 28 July 2018. live.
  34. News: Ark Royal's final return to home port of Portsmouth. 3 December 2010. BBC News. 20 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190221170030/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11907860. 21 February 2019. live.
  35. News: Portsmouth to host Ark Royal farewell parade . BBC News . 26 November 2010 . 2 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101129022830/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11845007 . 29 November 2010 . live .
  36. News: Ark Royal could be turned into a museum moored in Docklands. Evening Standard. Pippa Crerar. 1 December 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101204100247/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23902799-ark-royal-could-be-turned-into-a-museum-moored-in-docklands.do. 4 December 2010.
  37. News: Bids sought to buy Ark Royal . Navy News . 25 March 2011 . 28 March 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120310152719/http://www.navynews.co.uk/news/1128-bids-sought-to-buy-ark-royal.aspx . 10 March 2012 .
  38. News: Mablethorpe bids for HMS Ark Royal to boost tourism. 16 December 2010. 10 January 2011. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20101220045922/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-12007888. 20 December 2010. live.
  39. News: Ex-Army chief backs plan for Ark Royal on Thames. 6 December 2010. Evening Standard. Rashid Razaq. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101209023545/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23904279-ex-army-chief-backs-plan-for-ark-royal-on-thames.do. 9 December 2010.
  40. News: SAS unit could use Ark Royal as Pool of London base. 21 February 2011. Evening Standard. Robert Fox. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110223215908/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23925060-sas-unit-could-use-ark-royal-as-pool-of-london-base.do. 23 February 2011.
  41. News: Boris Johnson's team 'scuppering Ark Royal heliport plan'. 4 May 2011. Evening Standard. Pippa Crerar. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110528093624/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23946437-boris-johnsons-team-scuppering-ark-royal-heliport-plan.do. 28 May 2011.
  42. News: HMS Ark Royal could be converted into hospital ship . Belfast Telegraph . 9 January 2012 . Houston . Lesley . 3 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120314190314/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/hms-ark-royal-could-be-converted-into-hospital-ship-16100902.html . 14 March 2012 . live .
  43. News: Metal firm's £3.5m reef pledge . Herald Express . 25 August 2011 . 3 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120405135515/http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Metal-firm-s-pound-3-5m-reef-pledge/story-13199015-detail/story.html . 5 April 2012 . dead .
  44. News: Carrier HMS Ark Royal put up for auction on MoD website. 28 March 2011. 31 March 2011. BBC News. https://web.archive.org/web/20110330155734/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12883511. 30 March 2011. live.
  45. News: No decision on HMS Ark Royal . ITV News . 14 June 2012 . 27 June 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120626230331/http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2012-06-14/no-decision-on-hms-ark-royal/ . 26 June 2012 . live .
  46. News: MoD confirms Ark Royal to be scrapped . Portsmouth News . 10 September 2012 . 11 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120912091004/http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/mod-confirms-ark-royal-to-be-scrapped-1-4244563 . 12 September 2012 . dead .
  47. News: Ark Royal leaves Portsmouth for scrap yard . BBC News . 20 May 2013 . 7 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130609011719/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-22541019 . 9 June 2013 . live .
  48. Web site: In the Turkish port of Aliaga have led to the utilization of the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal . 17 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130620190216/http://www.blackseanews.net/read/65892 . 20 June 2013 . live .
  49. Hobbs & Smith 1986, p.96

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