home

fighting ships of the world

ROYAL NAVY (UNITED KINGDOM)

AIRCRAFT CARRYING SHIPS

INVINCIBLE support carriers (1980 - 1985)

Invincible 1985

Invincible 1995

Ark Royal 1995

Ark Royal 2010

Aircraft facilities, R05, 06: Hangar was 7.6m in height. 168x12.2m flight deck. Two lifts: 16.7x9.7m. There was 7° ski-jump. Aircraft fuel stowage was 1000t.

R07: Hangar was 7.6m in height. 168x12.2m flight deck. Two lifts: 16.7x9.7m. There was 12° ski-jump. Aircraft fuel stowage was 1000t.

Project history: The death of the fleet carrier replacement programme in February 1966 did not mean the end of plans for air capable ships. By 1967 an outline Staff Requirement had produced studies for a 12500t command cruiser carrying six Sea King helicopters. The ship was designated CCH, or helicopter-carrying cruiser, and that is what she was: a derivative of the Tiger class, with a missile/gun armament forward and a large external hangar aft, as in the French Jeanne d'Arc.

    Simple logic dictated that 'cleaning up' the superstructure and moving it to the starboard side would provide more deck space, although any attempt to do this was likely to be regarded by the politicians as a resurrection of the fleet carrier. But studies continued to show that increasing the air group to more than nine helicopters must lead to a 'through deck' or clear flight deck and island superstructure, if only to provide sufficient internal space for the hangar and workshops. Thus, despite the difficult climate, the design staff prepared designs for what were to be called 'through-deck cruisers' rising from 17500t to 19500t and with the growth in size it became possible to consider the possibility of using short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) strike aircraft. The RN had refused to accept the original P1154 STOVL fighter on the grounds that its lack of navigational radar and short endurance would give it a very low capability at sea. But in the interim the designers of the successful subsonic Harrier had pressed ahead with a Sea Harrier equipped with a more powerful engine, more fuel and new avionics which would provide the pilot with computer-aided navigation and attack data. In effect, advances in electronics have made it possible to do away with the observer while still reducing the pilot's work-load.

    In May 1975 it was officially announced that the new TDC would carry Sea Harriers, although the capability had long since been designed into the ship to avoid subsequent delays; in service nine Sea Kings and five Sea Harriers were embarked. The Sketch Design was ready at the end of 1970, but the order was not placed until April 1973. For a long time there was no mention of any sisters, but in May 1976 No 2 (Illustrious) was ordered, followed by No 3 in December 1978. The third ship was planned to be called Indomitable, but immediately alter the old Ark Royal paid off it was announced that her name would go to the new ship.

    There were many novel features in the design. First, it was the largest gas turbine-powered ship in the world, with four Rolfs-Royce Olympus units coupled to two shafts. Second, the emphasis was on large internal volume to allow the maintenance of virtually all equipment by exchange; in other words, everything down to the gas turbines and operating consoles had to be removable. This had already been achieved in other gas turbine ships, but the Invincible design carries it much farther. Because of the lack of armour and the use of much lighter alloy, the volume of the hull was big for its tonnage.

    Invincible was the first ship equipped with the new Type 1022 long-range air warning radar and she also had a double-headed Sea Dart guided weapon-system, with Type 910 trackers at each end of the island and a twin-arm launcher on the centreline forward. The provision of Sea Dart had been criticised for an alleged reduction of the flying capability, but it must be remembered that the Sea Harrier was a subsonic strike aircraft, not a supersonic interceptor, and therefore the ship (and other vessels in company) needed a long-range, rapid-reaction defence against air attack.

    While Invincible was under construction a very simple improvement was perfected which revolutionised flying at sea. This is the 'ski-jump', a ramp which given the Sea Harrier sufficient lift to enable it to take off using less fuel or carrying more payload. In Invincible and Illustrious it taken the form of a 47t light steel structure welded on to the port side of the flight deck, rising at an angle of 7° over the bow, but it had the effect of adding 700kg of payload to the Sea Harrier; Ark Royal will have a steeper ramp to improve performance further.

    The euphemism 'through-deck cruiser' (CAH) was subsequently changed to 'command cruiser' which was a reasonable title: much of the cost of Invincible was accounted for by 'Cu23' (Communication, Command and Control), and above all she was a flagship, having effective control of submarines and surface ships. By the time that Invincible came into service, however, the term 'carrier' was back in favour, and she was rated as a support carrier (CVS).

Modernizations: 5.1982, Invincible: + 2 x 6 - 20/76 Mk 15 Phalanx, 2x Mk 90 radars

1/1989, Invincible: - 2 x 6 - 20/76, type 992R, 2x Mk 90, 2x type 1006 radars, type 184M sonar, 4x DLA decoy RL; + 3 x 7 - 30/80 Goalkeeper, type 996, 3x Goalkeeper, 2x type 1007 radars, type 2016 sonar, 4x DLH, 8x Sea Gnat decoy RL, ski ramp was inclined to 12°

2/1994, Illustrious: - 2 x 6 - 20/76, type 992R, 2x Mk 90, 2x type 1006 radars, type 184M sonar, 4x DLA decoy RL; + 3 x 7 - 30/80 Goalkeeper, type 996, 3x Goalkeeper, 2x type 1007 radars, type 2016 sonar, 4x DLH, 8x Sea Gnat decoy RL, ski ramp was inclined to 13°

1990s, Ark Royal: - 2x type 1006, type 992R radars, type 184M sonar, 4x DLA decoy RL; + type 996, 2x type 1007 radars, type 2016 sonar, 4x DLH, 8x Sea Gnat decoy RL

3/1999, Illustrious: - 1 x 2 Sea Dart SAM, UAF(1), type 670 ECM suites, ADAWS 10 CCS; + type 1008 radar, UAT(8), UAD/UAK, 2x type 675 ECM suites, type 182 torpedo decoy, ADIMP CCS; flight deck was increased by adding of 23x18m place, also Harrier GR.7 VSTOL attackers were supported

2/2000, Invincible: - 1 x 2 Sea Dart SAM, 2x type 909 radars, UAF(1), type 670 ECM suites; + type 1008 radar, UAT(7), 2x type 675 ECM suites, type 182 torpedo decoy; flight deck was increased by adding of 23x18m place, also Harrier GR.7 VSTOL attackers were supported

late 2000, Illustrious: - 2x type 909 radars

7/2001, Ark Royal: - 1 x 2 Sea Dart SAM, 2x type 909 radars, UAF(1), type 670 ECM suites; + type 1008 radar, UAT(7), 2x type 675 ECM suites, type 182 torpedo decoy; flight deck was increased by adding of 23x18m place, also Harrier GR.7 VSTOL attackers and Merlin helicopters were supported

2002-2003, all: - 2x type 675 ECM

2011, Illustrious: - fixed wing aircraft; + accommodations for 960 marines.

Naval service: In 2011 Illustrious was converted and rerated as 'helicopter and commando carrier'.

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

Invincible 1980

Invincible 2003

Ark Royal 2003