Tears as last Harrier jets leave Ark Royal

[MigBuster 2,861]

from (Has Video) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11830094

 

A formation of Harrier jump jets has made its final journey from HMS Ark Royal - the last such flight from a UK aircraft carrier for about 10 years.

 

The four GR9 jets marked the end of an era when they roared off the deck near North Shields, North Tyneside.

 

Both the Ark Royal and the Harriers are being scrapped under cost-saving plans.

 

The Harriers, heading to RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, will be decommissioned in 2011 and replaced by the F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

 

The Ark Royal was sailing across the North Sea to Hamburg in Germany.

 

Lt Cdr James Blackmore, who was the last Harrier pilot to leave, said he was immensely proud.

 

'Emotional moment'

 

"It is amazing. I watched a Harrier hovering over Chatham dockyard when I was eight years old and I am now fortunate enough to be flying the Harrier today," he said.

 

"It's an amazing aircraft, superb to fly and just very enjoyable."

 

 

HMS Ark Royal is like the girlfriend you hate and you only realise you loved her when she has binned you”

 

PO Andrew Collins

 

The crew of the 22,000-tonne Ark Royal, which has seen active service in the Balkans and 2003 invasion of Iraq, lined the decks to watch the historic departure.

 

Captain Jerry Kyd said there was a tear in his eye when the last Harrier left.

 

"It was an emotional moment and also one of real pride as we look back over 25 years service to Queen and country," he said.

 

"No naval officer wants to see any ship decommissioned early and she is a fine vessel and she has a fine history.

 

"She is at the peak of her efficiency but one understands that very difficult decisions have to be made across government."

 

One senior officer described the decision to scrap both the jets and carrier as "madness".

 

Petty Officer Andrew Collins, 26, from Glasgow, said: "HMS Ark Royal is like the girlfriend you hate and you only realise you loved her when she has binned you."

 

And Petty Officer David Terracciano, 31, from Portsmouth, added he was "gutted".

 

The Ark Royal - the Royal Navy's flagship - will eventually head back to her Portsmouth base on 3 December.

 

It will be replaced by the Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carrier at the end of the decade, which will carry F35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.

 

A group of former Royal Navy admirals have suggested scrapping the Harrier force and HMS Ark Royal could leave the Falklands open to attack - a claim denied by ministers who insist the UK will still be able to defend the islands. retards

Edited November 24, 2010 by MigBuster

[+aleks 9]

sad to hear so;;;;;i eard even that the new aircraft carrier "Queen Elisabeth"will enter in service and remain on it for only 3 or 4 years...after that it will be put in long term deposit ...

[+Piecemeal 450]

A group of former Royal Navy admirals have suggested scrapping the Harrier force and HMS Ark Royal could leave the Falklands open to attack - a claim denied by ministers who insist the UK will still be able to defend the islands. retards

 

Retards indeed. Look where that decision left them when they scrapped the old (R09) Ark Royal and decommisioned the RN Phantom squadrons.

[Nesher 629]

sad news..

[+ST0RM 145]

I hope that the basket they've placed all of their eggs in, doesn't tip over.

[+Polovski 415]

Nuts, and from a government made up of the parties that the people did not vote for - marvelous. I think we'll defend the Falklands using some rubber dingies and papier mache aeroplanes painted up like real aircraft. The beauty of it is, all the billions saved are now being offered to help Ireland out of their mess instead, but at least the bankers will be ok.. hurrah :)

[DWCAce 19]

Very sad news...

[Atreides 144]

A sad and very short sighted decision.

[SayethWhaaaa 245]

Just an awful decision...

[Slartibartfast 153]

Is not going to say much on this as it would be full of expletives... Why don't they scrap the A400M buy more C-130's and C-17'S which work... and the money saved would fund harriers and Ark for next few years...

 

 

Oh thats it the A-400 is a make work for Europe job...

 

But to be honest its a very sad day for the Fleet Air Arm and the Fleet and the RAF finally get rid of the only jet that is worth its weight in gold and lives... Stupid stupid and in case you didn't get it STUPID!!!

[ezlead 42]

A very sad day!

The Admirals say that the Falklands could be in jeopardy.

But,the Ministers say "No Way,we can still defend them".

When was the last time a politician was right about anything.

Let alone,being smarter about warfare than an Admiral.

Maybe,if the Falklands or any other British commitment is in jeopardy,we can loan the Brits one of our Carrier Battle Groups and aircraft.(For just a small rental fee,of course)

[Slartibartfast 153]

A very sad day!

The Admirals say that the Falklands could be in jeopardy.

But,the Ministers say "No Way,we can still defend them".

When was the last time a politician was right about anything.

Let alone,being smarter about warfare than an Admiral.

Maybe,if the Falklands or any other British commitment is in jeopardy,we can loan the Brits one of our Carrier Battle Groups and aircraft.(For just a small rental fee,of course)

Ha we dont have enlough to crew it all...

[TX3RN0BILL 3]

I thought the F-35 wasn't going to go forward... not the smartest way to go with it - since Queen Elizabeth is going to be a large carrier class, they should try to make a navalized Typhoon - would create even more Euro-jobs...

 

And the problem with retiring these before the successors are available is that England won't even be able to offer the Falklands to the Argentinians for sale - since they'll probably be able to take them with their military for free (well, provided there aren't any accidents and nobody wants to play a hero that is)...

 

 

[JediMaster 451]

That's not the biggest problem. The biggest one is how many of the currently serving crewmembers will still be around in 10 years to lend their experience? And how out of date will that experience be by then anyway?

 

The consequence of the larger size of the QE class has already been felt, they're buying the USN version now instead of the USMC version. That will of course hurt the USMC because it means the price for their planes will be higher thanks to a smaller buy.

Maybe Spain and Italy will buy some for their carriers at some point.

[macelena 1,070]

We are willing to buy those F-35Bs, but it has not come to an agreement yet. It depends on how expensive will they get.

 

On the other hand, either we or the Italians have been beaten by the crysis, and we didn´t give up our air arm. What the heck, we even got a new LHD for our Harriers. But this issue is not that recent. Both our Navy and the Italian one have been detaching AV-8B+ units to fly CAPs from the british carriers for a few years since the SeaHarrier FA2s were withdrawn, and that was before the crysis. I wondered why wouldn´t they just lease a few from the USMC or something like that. And the Type 45 AAW destroyers? the program was, AFAIK, delayed. Basically, the RN is having a really bad time, and it is not because of enemy sinking their ships, but because of domestic politics.

Edited November 27, 2010 by macelena

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

Just one more example of short-sighted incompetence in Whitehall...If I was an Argentinian Military advisor, I would

a) Be rubbing my hands together in Glee

b) Be assembling an invasion force, and printing up 'Malvinas' road signs.

 

The trouble with the Coalition Government, is that it has f******* Liberals included with it!!!

 

The only good news, is that no-one will ever vote Liberal Democrat ever again...enjoy your 15 minutes of Fame Nick Clegg...it will be your last.

 

My Advice to the Falkland inhabitants and the Population of England, Wales and Scotland?

 

Move to Ireland!!!

[Lexx_Luthor 57]

I dunno fellas. One of our Argentine members poasted that Argentina cut back its military after the 2001 currency event down there. So maybe they can't do the Invasion thing anyways. I have no clue. I can only guess that the Argentine military is a shadow of what it was in the 1980s. Now, so too with UK I suppose.

 

Anyways, Argentina and UK are both insolvent, and worse, in debt to giant banks. But so is everybody.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I dunno fellas. One of our Argentine members poasted that Argentina cut back its military after the 2001 currency event down there. So maybe they can't do the Invasion thing anyways. I have no clue. I can only guess that the Argentine military is a shadow of what it was in the 1980s. Now, so too with UK I suppose.

 

Anyways, Argentina and UK are both insolvent, and worse, in debt to giant banks. But so is everybody.

 

Very True Lexx

[+Gepard 10,263]

Of course its a sad moment when planes and ships are scrapped. So it is all around the world. I can remember how sad my feelings were when i had to hand over my good old Kaschi assault rifle for scrapping in the days of change 1990, or our birds went into the scrapyards. The same feelings soldiers all around the world can share and understand.

But if its time to say good bye, then it is time. Something new will come. It surely will not be the same old love, it will be different.

What mean: Keep a stiff upper lip, look forward and not back.

[+Julhelm 266]

I thought the Ark Royal was in pretty bad shape by now. Wasn't the ships originally designed for a life of 18 years or so? They've served well beyond that now.

[+daddyairplanes 8,673]

the bad thing that occurs to me is that the UK will now have no carrier capability for 10 years. you know that some politician will, in about 4-5 years time, scrap the QE carriers saying you guys have gone without these abilities so why spend on them. to look at the last 60 years of history on british defence spending points out that this will likely occur, regardless of howmuch had already been spent.

[+SkippyBing 8]

I thought the Ark Royal was in pretty bad shape by now. Wasn't the ships originally designed for a life of 18 years or so? They've served well beyond that now.

 

No the Type 23s originally had a design life of around 16 years, the CVS weren't so restricted. I think the planned out of service date for the Ark was 2015/16.

[SUICIDAL 402]

Sorry if this is an Off Topic

Or distorts the chat or main idea of the title ...

But it's something I found watching a video of Malvinas war

This is a painting that depicts a moment in the war.

Many were not sure if I could be true

 

Given that only a guy with a lot of balls or really crazy

It could expose the deck of a ship and try to shoot down

a plane with a Blowpipe

I in the midst of huge amount of fire and explosions.

But as I discovered today in the morning is completely true

Let me just very excited and paralyzed I could not believe. !!!!!

The painting

And these are the tests that bold action was carried out by a man

The Argentine aircraft attack

 

And the soldier firing his missile launcher

Simply fantastic

Amazing, really makes me very excited to have found this

At 18 seconds can see the action so

entirely clear, it's incredible. The courage of this man

The courage and the balls of a bull that has

I know many of you are Ex-Military

If you know something more about this action or if by chance

has known this man please I'd like to share with me

His story

In truth I would greatly appreciate

Saludos

Marcos

[+SkippyBing 8]

I hope that the basket they've placed all of their eggs in, doesn't tip over.

 

No, we're pretty much f***ked. The one possible bright spot is that there is no cost saving in cutting the QE Class Carriers, the contract was written so that once signed the government is committed to spending the money so cutting them really saves nothing. Unlike the Army*, and possibly the RAF, the RN actually plan in advance so running cost for the carriers are already accounted for, in fact the refits and docking periods are already on a spreadsheet in Fleet the only bits to fill in are where they deploy to. On the down side the skill and knowledge base that the RN sacrificed so much to retain is now lost, stand fast some folders in the FAA Museum** and anyone who hasn't moved on by the end of the decade.

 

**Those of you from the UK may recall numerous newspaper expose on the appalling accommodation the Army return to after Op Tours. This is because rather than budget to spend money on a phased re-generation program the Army spent it on tanks and horses. Since the merging of all three service's estate management most funding has now gone to the Army as upgrading their accommodation to habitable is the number one priority at the cost of all the careful phased plans of the other two services. To the extent Yeovilton's main runway may not get refurbished limiting its usable area.

 

**No seriously, a good friend was up from the IPT to check the museum for information and found that the last Cdr Air from the old Ark Royal had handily noted down their operating procedure for possible future reference. I think it's called 'The State of the Ark'.

[ezlead 42]

but at least the bankers will be ok.. hurrah :)

 

Looks like the common political decision for the times.

Screw the country and the people,but God forbid,don't let those bankers fail.