HMS Ark Royal (left) and USS Nimitz (right)
The British government is cutting the military budget by a whopping 8%. That means its only aircraft carrier, the Ark Royal, will be mothballed. The diesel powered ship transports helicopters and Harrier jets.
The ship caught my attention because while watching stock footage of it on the news, I noticed the huge smokestack billowing diesel exhaust. And, I wondered how such a short carrier was able to launch planes. But then again, the Harriers could just take off vertically.
Harriers taking off:
More details about the cuts here.
It's probably due to its limitation of only being able to carry Harrier jets and helicopter that they can't sell it to an emerging nation the way France sold the Foch to Brazil back in 2000.
ReplyDeleteF1O: I just discovered that the Thai Air Force uses Harriers!
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrier_Jump_Jet#AV-8A_Harrier_.28US.2C_Spain.2C_Thailand.29
The top picture in this article was tasken in June 1976. This is not the current HMS Arc Royal. I was stationed on USS Nimitz and we were the host ship for HMS Arc Royal's visit to Norfolk VA.
ReplyDeleteYes I was their got this picture at home remember seeing the excorsist in Norfolk cinema and drinking tiquila sunrises on the PX able seaman Ellis fwd gunners mess
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