Invincible
Quick Summary
The HMS Invincible was a British aircraft carrier that entered service in the late 1970s. It was part of a class of light aircraft carriers designed to operate vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jets, such as the Sea Harrier, and antisubmarine helicopters. These ships were smaller than traditional aircraft carriers because they did not require catapults or arresting gear, utilizing a "ski jump" at the end of the flight deck to assist aircraft takeoff.1
The Invincible-class carriers were primarily designed for antisubmarine warfare. However, HMS Invincible notably provided air cover during the Falkland Islands War in 1982. The ship was decommissioned in 2005, marking a reduction in the Royal Navy's fixed-wing aircraft carrier capability until newer, larger carriers entered service.1
It is important to note that the name "Invincible" was also used for a British battlecruiser completed in 1907, which was lost during World War I.2
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warshipLight carriers…built three such ships, HMS Invincible, Illustrious, and Ark Royal. These 20,000-ton ships carried eight Sea Harriers and about a dozen antisubmarine helicopters. They also incorporated a further British contribution to aircraft carrier design: an upward-sloping “ski jump” at the end of the short (170-metre, or 558-foot) flight deck to…
Read More…built three such ships, HMS Invincible, Illustrious, and Ark Royal. These 20,000-ton ships carried eight Sea Harriers and about a dozen antisubmarine helicopters. They also incorporated a further British contribution to aircraft carrier design: an upward-sloping “ski jump” at the end of the short (170-metre, or 558-foot) flight deck to…
Read More- warshipLight carriers
HMS Invincible was decommissioned in 2005, and in 2010 the British government, in a major reduction of defense spending, announced the immediate decommissioning of the Ark Royal. The remaining Invincible-class ship, HMS Illustrious, was decommissioned in 2014. These moves effectively removed the capability of the Royal…
Read MoreHMS Invincible was decommissioned in 2005, and in 2010 the British government, in a major reduction of defense spending, announced the immediate decommissioning of the Ark Royal. The remaining Invincible-class ship, HMS Illustrious, was decommissioned in 2014. These moves effectively removed the capability of the Royal…
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