Posted on 07/10/2011 11:54:35 AM PDT by george76
HMS Illustrious, affectionately known as Lusty, made a proud return to her home port of Portsmouth after receiving a £40million upgrade.
The Royal Navy's last fixed-wing aircraft carrier has been converted into a helicopter carrier and is now capable of carrying a force of up to 20 helicopters and 600 personnel.
The 22,000-tonne ship was based at the Rosyth dockyard in Fife for 16 months while it underwent modifications.
...
Illustrious will take over the role currently fulfilled by HMS Ocean when it goes for a refit. It is due for completion by 2014.
A Navy spokesman said: 'This will ensure that the UK retains the ability to deliver an amphibious intervention force from the sea and maintain an experienced crew to support the later introduction into service of the new Queen Elizabeth class carrier.'
When Ocean returns, Illustrious will be withdrawn from service following the exit of its sister ships Invincible and Ark Royal.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Lusty's at full throttle again: HMS Illustrious sails back home to Portsmouth after £40m upgrade into helicopter carrier
£40 million refit ?
Retired 2014 ?
ht comments
I wouldn’t call a conversion from a fixed-wing aircraft carrier to a glorified floating helicopter pad an ‘upgrade’...
Click on pic for past Navair pings.
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.
After spending forty mil I wouldn’t think it would be a good idea to call it a downgrade.
So why spend 40 million pounds upgrading a ship that’s to be retired in 3 years?
Sounds like Obama math to me.
HMS Illustrious = one-half the size of our amphibious assault ships
Anyway, basically its being done to cover the role of HMS Ocean (a real amphibious assault ship), which is going in for a major refit.
Twice as good though :)
Sounds like what happened with my first ship. A cruiser, went into the yards for refit and upgrade, comes out with sonar and helo capability removed, then gets decommed less than a year later. Of course, that was the Clinton Navy...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.