ÿþ <html> <header> <META NAME="keyword" content="Jeff Head, Dragon's Fury Series, World-Wide Aircraft Carriers, Aircraft Carriers, World's Aircraft Carriers, Navies, Navy, World's Navies, All the World's Aircraft Carriers, Nimitz Class, Kuznetsov, Varyag, The Hapless Varyag, Mystery of the Varyag, Chinese Navy, Plan, Where are the carriers, Naval Aviation, WorldWideAircraftCarriers.com, All the World's Carriers"> <META NAME="description" content="WorldWideAircraftCarriers.com - Invincible Class Page"> <TITLE>WorldWideAircraftCarriers.com - Invincible Class Page</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGSTART bgcolor=white BGEND> </header> <body> <!-- --> <!-- Display WWAC logo --> <!-- --> <center> <table width=100%> <tr><td> <center> <img src="wwaclogo.jpg"> </center> </tr></td></table> <!-- --> <!-- Display headers --> <!-- --> <table width=800 border=1> <tr><td colspan=2 valign=center><center> <a href="index.htm"><img border=0 src="menu-carrier-off.gif"></a><img src="center-invincible.jpg"><a href="index2.htm"><img border=0 src="menu-amphib-off.gif"></a></center> </td> <tr> <td width=37% align=left valign=center><font size=-1><b> SPECIFICATIONS</b></td> <td width=63% align=left valign=center><font size=-1><b>PHOTOGRAPHS </b>(Click on the pictures for an enlarged photo)</td> </tr> <tr> <td align=left valign=top><font size=-1> <img src="UKFlag.jpg"><br> <u>Designation</u>: CVL<br> <u>Length</u>: 695 ft<br> <u>Width</u>: 118 ft<br> <u>Beam</u>: 118 ft<br> <u>Displacement</u>: 23,000 tons<br> <u>Propulsion</u>: 4 TM3B gas turbines (COGAG), <br>2 shafts<br> <u>Speed</u>: 29 knots<br> <u>Crew</u>: 1,270<br> <u>Airwing</u>: 22 VSTOL, rotary<br> <u>Armament</u>:<br> - 3 X 30mm CIWS<br> - 2 X 20mm guns<br> <u>Elevators</u>: 2<br> <u>Ships in class</u>: 3 <blockquote> <a href="http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.1261" target="_blank">HMS Illustrious (R06)</a><br> </blockquote> The Invincible class carriers, all three commissioned between 1980 and 1985, were initially dubbed as "through deck cruisers" for political and funding purposes, and were the first successful VSTOL carriers in the world, employing the British Harrier aircraft. <p> Threatened with cancellation and selling by politicians, the miltary planners garnered enough support to see the task through and complete the development, launching and commissioning of these vessels. <p> The concept proved very useful and successful in the 1982 Falklands War with Argentina where the United Kingdom sent down two aircraft carrier groups, one consisting of the Hermes (later sold to India to become <a href="viraat.htm">the INS Viraat</a>), and the other of the newly completed Invincible, which was rushed through final trials in time to participate in the war. By MAy of that year (1982) the task force had accomplished two of its main tasks; the movement of the troops safely to the South Atlantic and the establishment of control of the seas around the Islands. <p> The role of the carriers, HMS Hermes and HMS Invincible, was crucial through all stages in providing air defence and the means of attacking enemy ships and ground positions, while their helicopters provided constant anti-submarine protection. The Invincible and her air wing performed well, despite some losses to both aircraft and supporting ships from Argentine air attack, and the islands were recaptured and the Argentine forces defeated. <p> The carriers were originally designed without the now characteristic ski ramp. However, during operational tests it was discovered that using the ski ramp provided the Sea Harrier with much better performance, allowing it to carry more fuel and weapons, making it a far more versatile aircraft for fleet defense, attack at sea, and ground support missions. The upgrade to the F/A 2 Sea Harrier was a great success for the fighter, and allowed it to do its job very capably in many different operations, particulalry in combat in the Mid-East. The HArrier is slated to be replaced by the Joint Strike Fighter slated for use on the new, full deck HMS aircraft carriers. <p> In that regard, by June of 2011, all but one of the Invincible class carriers had been decommissioned and being disposed of to make way for the two new, full deck, conventional carriers the United Kingdom is now building. These carriers served their nation and the cause of freedom in the west very capably for over thirty years. This leaves only the HMS Illustrious active, and she will be decomissioned as soon as the first new carrer, the <a href="queene.htm">Queen Elizabeth</a> is comissioned. </td> <td align=center valign=top> <a href="invincible1.jpg"><img src="invincible1.jpg" width=490></a><br> <a href="invincible2.jpg"><img src="invincible2.jpg" width=490></a><br> <a href="invincible3.jpg"><img src="invincible3.jpg" width=490></a><br> <a href="invincible4.jpg"><img src="invincible4.jpg" width=490></a><br> <a href="invincible5.jpg"><img src="invincible5.jpg" width=490></a><br> <a href="invincible6.jpg"><img src="invincible6.jpg" width=490></a> </tr> </table> <!-- \/ GuestGEAR Code by http://htmlgear.com \/ --> <table width=800><tr> <td width=10% align=left valign=center> <a href="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/specs/guest.html"><img border=0 ismap src="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/img/guest/gb_white.gif"></a></td> <td width=20% align=center valign=center> <a target="_NEW" href="http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=libertyordeath&i=7&a=view"><font face="arial,helv,helvetica,sans serif" size=-1>View Guestbook</font></a></td> <td width=40% align=center valign=center> <a href="links.htm">LINKS OF INTEREST</a></td> <td width=20% align=center valign=center> <a target="_NEW" href="http://htmlgear.tripod.com/guest/control.guest?u=libertyordeath&i=7&a=sign"><font face="arial,helv,helvetica,sans serif" size=-1>Sign Guestbook</font></a></td> <td width=10% align=right valign=center> <a href="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/specs/guest.html"><img border=0 ismap src="http://htmlgear.lycos.com/img/guest/gb_white.gif"></a></td> </tr></table> <!-- /\ End GuestGEAR Code /\ --> <u>Last Page Update</u>: 3-JUL-2011 <table width=800 border="1"> <tr><td><center><table width=90%><tr><td> <font size=-1><a href="http://www.jeffhead.com/about.htm">Jeff Head</a> is an engineering consultant with many years experience in the power, defense, and computer industries. He currently works for the federal government helping maintain and protect regional infrastructure. He is a member of the U.S. Naval Institute, and is also the author of a self-published and best-selling series of military techno-thrillers called the Dragon's Fury that projects a fictional third world war arising out of current events. You can learn more about that series by clicking on the pictures of the novel covers below:</p></font> <p> <center><a href="http://www.dragonsfuryseries.com/" target="_blank"> <img src="../dragonsfury/DFS-WorldWar-Cover.jpg" width=200><br><b> THE DRAGON'S FURY SERIES</a></b></center></td></td></table> <p> Copyright &copy; 2005-2008 by Jeff Head </td></tr></table> <p> <center> <!-- GoStats.com Simple HTML based code --> <a href="http://monster.gostats.com/click.xml?5992" target="_top"><img src="http://monster.gostats.com/bin/count?a=5992&amp;t=4&amp;i=19&amp;z=" style="border-width:0px" alt="free hit counter" /></a><br /> <a style="font-size: 9px" href="http://gostats.com" title="Free Hit Counter">Free Hit Counter</a> <!-- End GoStats.com Simple HTML based code --> </td></tr></table></center> </body></html>