Thales UK, The Royal Navy's flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible, has been retired from service in Portsmouth six months early.
She had been in service since 1977, and was deployed in the Falklands war. She was honoured on her final trip by a fly-past involving Sea Harriers, Sea King helicopters, the Lynx Pairs Display Team and RAF Chinook helicopters. With the Ark Royal currently undergoing a major refit and due to re-enter service late next year, Invincible's retirement leaves the Illustrious as the only aircraft carrier in operational service.
In 2012 the MoD plans to replace all of the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers with Thales-designed future aircraft carriers (CVF). CVF will see the development and construction of two 60,000-tonne aircraft carriers that will ultimately replace the 22,000 tonne Invincible, Illustrious and Ark Royal warships. The programme is the biggest of its kind to take place within the British defence industry and both ships, the largest and most powerful to be built in the UK, are due to be completed at an estimated total cost of
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