Description:
Invincible is a class of three anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy between 1977 and 1985. These ships are conventionally powered by four Olympus gas turbines which gives a top speed of 30 knots. Her ski-jump fitted at the forward end of the flight deck allows for short take off of Harrier fixed-wing aircraft. SH-3 and EH101 helicopters and Sea Harrier V/STOL aircraft form the tactical aircraft wing operating from these ship.
HMS Invincible the lead ship of the class saw combat in the Falklands in 1982. HMS Invincible was decommissioned on 3 August 2005. The other two remaining ships should be decommissioned before 2012 and 2015 when the first and second CVF aircraft carriers are expected to be commissioned by the Royal Navy.
HMS Ark Royal underwent a £20 million two-year high-tech upgrade in Rosyth that added to the ship: better aviation facilities; BOWMAN command and control system; Scot 5 for better satellite communications; electronic charting and a towed sonar decoy system for defence against submarines. In addition the Ark Royal also gained capability for the British Army's Apache helicopters and an outstanding futuristic-looking mast. The ship returned to her homeport in Portsmouth (UK) in late October 2006. HMS Ark Royal is fitted with Phalanx gun systems instead of Goalkeeper.
Specifications Accommodation: Crew 1,089, Passengers 960
Dimensions: Length 210 m, Width 36 m
Weights: Max Weight 22,000 t
Performance: Top Speed 14 mps (28 kt)
Power: Power 98,000 shp
Operators
United Kingdom / 3
Ships
R05 HMS Invincible
Commissioning: 1980
R06 HMS Illustrious
Commissioning: 1982
R07 HMS Ark Royal
Commissioning: 1985
Image Gallery
Notes (*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)
United Kingdom / 3 
