This blogger came across this bit of cheery news on the cdr salamander blog. He posted this picture of two of Great Britain's two S/VTOL aircraft carriers.
And its sad that the UK will not be preserving HMS Invincible as a mermorial ship. This warship took part in the Falklands War in 1982. In the background of the picture, was the HMS Ark Royal at her Portsmouth berth - waiting for a new owner or the scrapyard.
Twenty Sea Harriers of the Fleet Air Arm and backed up by some RAF Harriers was the only means for the Royal Navy to provide air cover against what the Argentian's Air Force and Navy Air Armanda could throw at the British.
It's sad to see the Invincible in the shape it was in -being towed by tugs, paint on the island flaking off. The bold black waterline marking all but gone. In the picture, one can see both ship's famous ski-jump ramp.
Its just a sad picture of a former Navy power going into the dustbill of history. Her citizens have decided that they need more government programs and give aways than actual national defense. And this blogger is waiting for the same thing to start happening here in the US of A..
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Ref.
1. cdr salamander. "Royal Navy's decline in a picture" March 28, 2011. (http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2011/03/royal-navys-decline-in-picture.html). Picture by Mike Walker.
2. Naval-History.net. "BATTLE ATLAS of the FALKLANDS WAR 1982 by Land, Sea and Air"by Gordon Smith (http://www.naval-history.net/NAVAL1982FALKLANDS.htm).
3. History of War Online.com. Falklands. (http://www.historyofwaronline.com/Falklands.html).