Portsmouth, UK. 20th May 2013. HMS Ark Royal, the aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy fleet, set sail for the scrapyard. The Ark is being taken to Turkey following it's decommision. Credit: Paul Chambers / Alamy Live News
HMS Ark Royal, the aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy fleet, set sail for the scrapyard. The Ark is being towed to Turkey shipyard in Leyal to be stripped down Ark Royal saw active service based in the Adriatic during the Balkans War and in the Gulf for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. She was decommissioned as a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010. The move was, and still is, widely criticised because it leaves the UK without carrier capability until the new HMS Elizabeth is ready later this decade. The Harrier jets that flew off Ark Royal were sold to the US. Various options had been considered for Ark Royal's future, including a Hong Kong nightclub and the possibility of sinking her off the Devon coast for divers to enjoy. This is the 1st time the Royal Navy has never had a ship called The Ark Royal in 150 years
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Portsmouth Hampshire United Kingdom
Photo credit: © pcp(news) / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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