Aircraft Carriers II (Closed to posting)

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Neutral Zone

Neutral Zone

Junior Member
bd popeye said:
The Hermes/Viraat is amazing..in comission(mostly) since 1959. Did you fellows know that her keel was laid in 1944?!. Amazing that she still sails the sea. A testimony to the British who built and mainatined her and the Indians who now maintain her. How much longer can she go? Only time will tell!

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On to another subject. Presently the USS Wasp LHD-1 is conducting a disaster relief mission in Nicarauga.

U.S. Southern Command diverted the Wasp from an international maritime exercise in Panama to the coast of Nicaragua Sept. 5 to assist with disaster relief efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Felix. This shows the great versitility of this class of ship. The Wasp was in the region participatiing in PANAMAX 2007. The ship has an air wing on board of US Navy CH-53 Sea Dragons and SH-60's.

Of course some pics for you!

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[qimg]http://www.dezh.de/imghosting/43ec33174a1aa8173cb1f3d788803c8b.jpg[/qimg]

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USS Wasp(LHD-1) & USS Mitscher(DDG-57)
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That's true, she was originally to be called HMS Elephant but was renamed HMS Hermes, to commemorate the previous carrier of that name which had been sunk in the Bay of Bengal in 1942, just before construction was suspended in 1945. Construction resumed in 1952 but completion was delayed until 1959. She was the last CTOL carrier to enter RN service but she was too small to effectively operate the types of aircraft then entering service, like the Buccaneer, and so she was converted to an LPH in the early 70's. A further refit gave her the ability to operate Harriers and she played a huge role in the Falklands, here's a video with a collection of film and photographs of Hermes in 1982 showing the sort of conditions the RN had to operate and showing some of the survivors of HMS Sheffield being brought onboard Hermes for medical treatment. The video is intended to be a tribute to members of Hermes crew who have sadly taken their own lives since 1982. :(

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Thaose are some great pics of the Wasp on disaster relief duty. As you say it shows how the amphibs can provide an enormous capability for humanitarian missions. Just another reason why it is important to have that sort of capability.
 
Tasman

Tasman

Junior Member
bd popeye said:
For more pictures of "Malabar 2007" go here;

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Type "Malabar 2007" in the search box near the top right of that page. You should get all the pics for "Malabar 2007".
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Thanks for the photos you posted and also this link. Yet another great link in the favourites box!

I agree with the comments re Hermes. Interestingly she was offered to Australia when the Invincible deal fell through because of the Falklands War and was rejected out of hand as 'too old!' I guess the RAN believed what Neutral Zone has pointed out - i.e. "anyone who said that Hermes would be in service after Invincible would have been certified." Yet here she is still going strong!

Tas
 
Obi Wan Russell

Obi Wan Russell

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VIP Professional
She's a fine example of how solid British engineering was/is. and yet there are still people who suggest we should have bought Italian (Cavour) as an alternative to the CVF! I'd like to see Hermes return home when the Indians are finished with her as she is the last true British aircraft carrier left in service anywhere. I'm sure we can find a spce for her in Pompey near to the Victory, Mary Rose and the Warrior...
 
H

harryRIEDL

New Member
Obi Wan Russell said:
She's a fine example of how solid British engineering was/is. and yet there are still people who suggest we should have bought Italian (Cavour) as an alternative to the CVF! I'd like to see Hermes return home when the Indians are finished with her as she is the last true British aircraft carrier left in service anywhere. I'm sure we can find a spce for her in Pompey near to the Victory, Mary Rose and the Warrior...
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it would truly look great if it were to become a musem ship next to victory i need another thing to see when going into portsmoth along with the spinnica tower and invinsable hell it could be inbetween the two
 
bd popeye

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
I saw this story on another military website and just had to post this here. This is pure speculation by the Indian news sources that the IN may purchase the USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 next year after it's is decomissioned..Simply because the CO of the ship "hinted" that it would be nice if the ship became part of one of the US friends navies after it is removed from USN service.

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Good Video of the "Battle Cat" know as the Kitty Hawk.

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Subrata on a bheelez cruise
- On board with spare suit & Gariahat bag
Trinamul leader and former Calcutta mayor Subrata Mukherjee was on board the USS Kitty Hawk on Friday and as soon as he took the first few steps down the flight deck and looked around him, he was struck with wonder. “Eta toh ekdom ekta bheelez’er moton, maaeeri (this is just like a village, Mother Mary).”

The Kitty Hawk is much more than that and there is little in it to make one feel bucolic. It is the oldest aircraft carrier in the US fleet.

Mukherjee was here on a “distinguished visitors’ programme”. The US consul in Calcutta was here, too. The Andamans fall in the Calcutta consulate’s area of responsibility.

Now, back to Mukherjee. He said it was with great difficulty he found two days off from his busy schedule. He was worried a bit about the arrested landing or “trap” and the catapulted take-off “shot” but appeared to bear it well. He was carrying a spare suit, unsuitable for the tropics, in a “Traders’ Assembly, Gariahat” plastic bag.

Kitty for India

The Kitty Hawk is on its last deployment. It is due to be decommissioned next year, but the Malabar war games are not its last active operation. In February, it will participate in drills off Hawaii, headquarters of the US Pacific Command, before it heads for San Diego. In Hawaii, the crew and its on-board carrier, Air Wing, will move to the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class nuclear propelled carrier that will replace the Kitty Hawk.

The buzz is that the Kitty Hawk will be up for sale. Will India bid for it? There is a certain logic to this. The Superhornets are a competitive bidder for the IAF’s $10.2-billion multi-role combat aircraft order. The Kitty Hawk flight deck is crammed with them. If India were to take the Kitty Hawk and the Superhornets, it would gel just fine.
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A

akinkhoo

Junior Member
buying US carrier would likely split the military cooperation with the Russian; i have doubt India can afford buying both programme(means less money for Russia hardware) nor would Russia allow it India to side with the US while allowing India to buy it's latest hardware.

If the deal happens, it will mean a strategic switch has been made. Russia will likely find new market like Pakistan! the implication is many.... both good and bad.
 
N

Norfolk

Junior Member
VIP Professional
Kitty Hawk is a fine carrier, but I read a message from one of its crew members a few months ago, and she's in not such good shape (of course, she's nearly half a century old). According to him, she's mechanically worn-out and her hull has pretty much had it. It's a real struggle for her crew to keep her going. Clearly someone's getting a little carried away here.
 
N

Norfolk

Junior Member
VIP Professional
Neutral Zone said:
But haven't they already signed the deal for the Mig-29K's? There would bound to be some stiff cancellation penalties.
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I wouldn't worry about it. Those MiG-29K's will probably find themselves a good home, on a reasonably good flight deck, just not on Kitty Hawk (besides, if a former USN fleet carrier were ever to grace the IN:eek:, well JFK is still sitting at Philly, and she's newer and in a lot better shape - not that that's likely to happen), but who knows these days?;) The US is trying to court new allies to face new foes.:coffee:
 
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