HMS Ark Royal RO7
The name HMS Ark Royal maybe one of the oldest in the fleet, but this Invincible class aircraft carrier is the newest of the three. Pictured first before refit then after, the Sea Dart missile system shown at the front has been removed in favour of an extended flight deck. This will allow for extra aircraft to be stored there and to allow for the Harrier GR7 which needs a longer runway than its Navy counterpart. It has recently retained the title of flagship of the Roayl Navy from HMS Invincible
HMS Illustrious RO6
HMS Illustrious was the second Invincible class carrier to be completed and the first to undergo the flight deck refit. It was originally completed ahead of schedule and set sail on 14th December 1978 en-route for the Falklands war. It arrived only days after the Argentine surrender and so never saw action. It was immediately recalled for a major refit since it was not completed to its full extent. It was officially commisioned on 4th June 1981 and is likely to stay in service well until 2010 when it will possibly be replaced with the new carrier force currently in development.
HMS Invincible RO5
Laid down on 20th July 1973 and commisioned on 11th July 1980, HMS Invincible was the first carrier of its class to be completed, but unlike the other two, it will be the last to undergo the flight deck refit. HMS Invincible has served the Royal Navy in several conflicts around the world, including the Falklands conflict, the Gulf War and operation Allied Force in Kosovo.
HMS Ocean
The newest of the four carriers shown, HMS Ocean is Britains only purpose built assault deck capacble of housing thousands of troops, as well as a variety of transport and attack helicopters. It will be likely to receive its first taste of combat in Afghanistan being used to deploy British special forces onto the mainland. The bottom picture shows HMS Ocean taking part in a NATO training exercise.
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