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Author Topic: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.  (Read 4670 times)

justboatonic

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Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« on: September 09, 2012, 11:55:52 am »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/9531372/HMS-Ark-Royal-to-be-sold-off-as-scrap-metal.html

An announcement in Parliament tomorrow is expected to reveal the details of the deal after the vessel was decommissioned in 2010 five years ahead of its expected sell-by date.

The decision comes following a bidding process which included proposals to turn the 22,000-ton ship into a helipad in the Thames, a museum, a hotel, a casino or a diving wreck off the South coast.

Last year HMS Invincible was also sold to a Turkish scrap metal firm as part of the MoD's drive to get its finances in order.

But HMS Illustrious, commissioned in June 1982 just days after the Falklands War, is expected to be preserved after completing active service in 2014, according to The Sun on Sunday.

A MoD spokesman said: ''HMS Ark Royal was decommissioned in 2010 after three decades of service and an announcement on her future will be made to Parliament on Monday.

Former Royal Navy flagship HMS Ark Royal (PA)

''Retiring her five years earlier than planned was a difficult but necessary decision to help address the multi-billion pound Defence deficit and deliver a balanced MoD budget.

''The new, much larger Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers will start to enter service in 2017.''

Ark Royal is seen as a symbol of the former might and current woes of the Royal Navy, being the fifth vessel to carry the name of the flagship which saw off the Spanish Armada in 1588.

Known as the Mighty Ark, the light aircraft carrier saw action in the Adriatic during the Bosnian War in 1993 before being sent to lead the British fleet during the invasion of Iraq a decade later.

Following the Defence and Security Review's decision to scupper the vessel and ground the Navy's Harrier jump jet fleet 18 months ago, the Royal Ark has been awaiting its fate in Portsmouth harbour.
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trawlerman

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2012, 01:41:17 pm »

Brings back memories of the late 70,s.  I was working as a fitter for a crane manufacturers in Rochdale, and i helped to make some of the lifting gear on sub-contract to Swan Hunter....Rod 8)
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trawlerman

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2012, 12:39:24 pm »

So £3m scrap eh...

I bet they had larger offers than that off people wanting to do whatever with it.

Its a shame nothing else will happen to the vessel - like a heliport or something of use. £3m is a p*55 in the ocean in regard to the governments debt, especially when they waste more than that giving to other countries.. Another story though.

 :((
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2012, 04:48:59 pm »

Parliamentary Announcement:

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Future of Royal Navy Invincible Class Carriers
The Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Philip Dunne): I
can today announce our plans to preserve the legacy of the Royal Navy’s Invincible
Class aircraft carriers.
The three Invincible Class aircraft carriers - HMS Invincible (in service July 1980),
HMS Ark Royal (in service November 1985) and HMS Illustrious (in service June
1982) – served this country with great distinction having played key roles in conflicts
in the Falkland Islands, Iraq and Bosnia. The last of these, HMS Illustrious, is due to
retire from the Royal Navy in 2014. After that date and in recognition of the service
given by these ships in protecting the UK over the last thirty years, it is our preference
to see HMS Illustrious preserved intact as a lasting tribute to the Service personnel
who served on all three of the carriers.
In early 2014 we intend to hold an Industry Day to launch a competition for the
innovative re-use of the ship to which interested parties will be encouraged to attend.
We will invite a range of organisations, including private sector companies, charities
and trusts to put forward viable proposals to ensure that HMS Illustrious remains
intact and available for future private use while still offering taxpayers value for
money.
HMS Ark Royal was withdrawn from service last year, following the 2010 Strategic
Defence and Security Review. Retiring the ship five years earlier than planned was a
difficult decision but it was the right one that, combined with her sale, has saved over
a hundred million pounds. That has helped the Ministry of Defence to achieve a
sustainable and balanced budget for the first time in decades.
Following a competition, we have awarded a contract to sell HMS Ark Royal to the
ship-recycling company Leyal for around £3 million. The recycling will be carried
out at the company’s site in Turkey, the same location at which HMS Invincible was
recycled.
 
Although a number of proposals to find an alternative use for the ship were tendered,
it was decided, after extensive evaluation, that the recycling of HMS Ark Royal was
the most viable option and offered the best value for money for the taxpayer. Bids
received for further use were either not feasible or appropriate, or carried too much
risk.
HMS Illustrious is more suitable for preservation for further non-military use and, as
such, is expected to attract interest from organisations who would be able to put
forward mature and viable proposals, in keeping with the role and history of the
Invincible class of ships.

ENDS
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Bob K

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2012, 05:55:00 pm »

It would be wonderful if HMS Illustrious could be preserved, but the running and maintanace costs would be very high for such a large ship.  Perhaps the highest number of visitors to help with these costs would be if she were moored close to HMS Belfast on the Thames.  I wonder how much HMS Belfast costs to maintain ?
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Netleyned

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2012, 06:09:15 pm »

Park her near Belfast and you are effectively
splitting the financial take between two ships
unless you create a grey funnel theme park.
The amount of money needed just to keep the ongoing
maintenance of the cheapo steel used in her hull would
be horrendous
Not even a carrier but a through deck cruiser according
to the pollies.

Ned
(ex Centaur, Victorious, Eagle.)

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dodgy geezer

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2012, 06:42:54 pm »

I see that EuroReferendum is comparing the sale cost of the Ark (£3m) to the sale cost of that other item of military hardware which went on the market recently, the Roman Cavalry Parade helmet (£2.2m).

I wonder which one would be more useful for the defence of the realm?  %) %)
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Bob K

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2012, 08:02:53 pm »

The Royal Navy has done so much for Britain . . .
"What have the Romans ever done for us"?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSELOCMmw4A
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justboatonic

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2012, 08:16:02 pm »

Totally bemused by this! Ark Royal was for a time the Navy's flagship. It may be stretching the point a little but isnt the name Ark Royal linked with more famous past ships? If they were going to preserve one ship of the class, Id have thought the Ark would be far more relevant.

Call me a cynic but, it they cant \ wont officially preserve Plymouth and her links to the Falklands, I can see the Secretary of Defence saying in 2014 - 15 that they tried to come up with a viable plan to preserve Illustrious but, costs blah, blah, blah make it uneconomical.

Time will tell I guess.

Parliamentary Announcement:

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Future of Royal Navy Invincible Class Carriers
The Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Philip Dunne): I
can today announce our plans to preserve the legacy of the Royal Navy’s Invincible
Class aircraft carriers.
The three Invincible Class aircraft carriers - HMS Invincible (in service July 1980),
HMS Ark Royal (in service November 1985) and HMS Illustrious (in service June
1982) – served this country with great distinction having played key roles in conflicts
in the Falkland Islands, Iraq and Bosnia. The last of these, HMS Illustrious, is due to
retire from the Royal Navy in 2014. After that date and in recognition of the service
given by these ships in protecting the UK over the last thirty years, it is our preference
to see HMS Illustrious preserved intact as a lasting tribute to the Service personnel
who served on all three of the carriers.
In early 2014 we intend to hold an Industry Day to launch a competition for the
innovative re-use of the ship to which interested parties will be encouraged to attend.
We will invite a range of organisations, including private sector companies, charities
and trusts to put forward viable proposals to ensure that HMS Illustrious remains
intact and available for future private use while still offering taxpayers value for
money.
HMS Ark Royal was withdrawn from service last year, following the 2010 Strategic
Defence and Security Review. Retiring the ship five years earlier than planned was a
difficult decision but it was the right one that, combined with her sale, has saved over
a hundred million pounds. That has helped the Ministry of Defence to achieve a
sustainable and balanced budget for the first time in decades.
Following a competition, we have awarded a contract to sell HMS Ark Royal to the
ship-recycling company Leyal for around £3 million. The recycling will be carried
out at the company’s site in Turkey, the same location at which HMS Invincible was
recycled.
 
Although a number of proposals to find an alternative use for the ship were tendered,
it was decided, after extensive evaluation, that the recycling of HMS Ark Royal was
the most viable option and offered the best value for money for the taxpayer. Bids
received for further use were either not feasible or appropriate, or carried too much
risk.
HMS Illustrious is more suitable for preservation for further non-military use and, as
such, is expected to attract interest from organisations who would be able to put
forward mature and viable proposals, in keeping with the role and history of the
Invincible class of ships.

ENDS

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Colin Bishop

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2012, 08:34:07 pm »

I thought the Ark was supposed to be in good operational condition when she was laid up in, I think March last year?To some extent I think it is a case of determining the conclusion and then arranging the facts to fit. Having said that, I am under the impression that Illustrious is in better physical condition. Whether she actually would be preserved is a moot point though. They need to be getting the business plan set up now, not when she is decommissioned. Portsmouth would seem to me the most obvious place to preserve her - how about as an extension to the RN Museum as Belfast is to the Imperial War Museum? The hangar could be used for large exhibits in the same way as the USS Intrepid in Manhattan.

Colin
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gingyer

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2012, 12:02:59 pm »

It would be good if we could get something like this
http://www.battleshipcove.org/

with Belfast, illustrious and Plymouth as well as some others :-))
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ardarossan

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2012, 02:11:03 am »

With the dispute escalating between China, Japan and Taiwan over those uninhabited islands in the South China Sea, and China officially unveiling their new Carrier (refurbed old Soviet Carrier), couldn't the MOD pitch the Ark at a premium price, as a 'Restoration Project' in the Oriental equivalent of Boat Trader?
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essex2visuvesi

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2012, 07:08:53 am »

couldn't the MOD pitch the Ark at a premium price, as a 'Restoration Project' in the Oriental equivalent of Boat Trader?


And maybe offer Mike Brewer and Ed China to do the work lol :D
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CF-FZG

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #13 on: September 27, 2012, 08:27:56 am »

I see that EuroReferendum is comparing the sale cost of the Ark (£3m) to the sale cost of that other item of military hardware which went on the market recently, the Roman Cavalry Parade helmet (£2.2m).

I wonder which one would be more useful for the defence of the realm?  %) %)

Neither, that's why one's being sold for scrap, and the other has historical value ok2
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Circlip

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2012, 11:17:09 am »

It would be good if we could get something like this
http://www.battleshipcove.org/

with Belfast, illustrious and Plymouth as well as some others :-))

  Oh no, not "Let's save  - - - -- " again.

  We can't even afford to keep a speedboat or steamboat museum open so there's no chance for big boats.

  Many years ago, Britain started to become a museum for the last vestiges of the British Empire at the cost of manufacturing industry. Pity that the Ark has to be shipped out to tear it to bits, we could have done it here but it would have taken too many steering committees and demarcation lines, - just like it used to be when building them.  %)

  Regards  Ian.
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Spook

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Re: Ark Royal to be sold for scrap.
« Reply #15 on: October 02, 2012, 02:14:42 am »

How many channels would I need?


... and would 2.4 Ghz be OK?  :-))
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