HMS Illustrious served the British Royal Navy for several decades before seeing decommissioning. The conventionally-powered carrier provided the spear-tip of a modern ocean-going force that included support of Harrier jump jets and several helicopter types throughout her career. The vessel partook in some of the more notable engagements of the 1980s and 1990s while leading her class of three-strong that included HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal (originally HMS Indomitable).
After World War 2 (1939-1945) the British Royal Navy managed one of the largest carrier fleets on the globe behind the United States. However, as the decades rolled on and attention turned to larger jet-powered types fighter types, these wartime vessels (some also constructed during the prewar period) were reaching the end of their capability spectrum. The CVA-01 initiative was intended to bring about a modernized fleet of carriers for Royal Navy service but this expensive venture ultimately fell to naught after a defense review in 1966. The following year work began on designing an light aircraft carrier in the 12,500-ton displacement range capable of launching and retrieving up to six helicopters simultaneously - no fixed-wing aircraft would be supported.
Her machinery included 8 x Paxman "Valenta" diesel generators coupled with 4 x Rolls-Royce "Olympus" TM3B series gas turbines developing 112,000 horsepower to 4 x shafts. In ideal conditions the vessel could make headway at nearly 30 knots and reach ranges out to 7,000 nautical miles.
The standard air arm constituted eight Sea Harrier VTOL aircraft and nine Sea King naval helicopters. This total was later increased for improved operational capability. The helicopters were equipped for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) work or Anti-Ship (AS) work depending on mission need.
HMS Invincible was ordered on April 17th, 1973 and saw her keel laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding Ltd in Barrow-in-Furness, England during July 1973. She was launched on May 3rd, 1977 and officially commissioned on July 11th, 1980. Her assigned homeport became HMNB Portsmouth and she carried the pennant identifier of "R05". Over her decades of service, she came to be known as "Vince".
While commissioned in 1980, the vessel was already under consideration for sale to the government of Australia in 1982. The ship would be handed the name of HMAS Australia. However, all this changed when the Argentina government sent military forces to the Falkland Islands which precipitated the Falklands War of 1982. HMS Invincible was sent into action while her sister, HMS Illustrious was hurriedly constructed and shipped off. HMS Indomitable, renamed HMS Ark Royal, followed and allowed at least two carriers in active service while the third underwent refit.
HMS Invincible sailed with an air arm of eight Sea Harriers and nine Sea Kings but losses soon dictated a group of eleven Sea Harriers and ten helicopters (Sea Kings and Lynx). Invincible managed to survive the war against Argentina unscathed - despite Argentine reports to the contrary.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
1 x Sea Dart surface-to-air missile (twin launcher)
2 x 20mm Phalanx CIWSs (later replaced by Goalkeeper CIWS).
2 x 20mm GAM-B01 air defense guns
22 x fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft of varying types - Harrier GR.7 / GR.9 series jump jets and various helicopter types including Sea King and Merlin.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
