Development of a light aircraft carrier has begun in russia. Light aircraft carrier of the Italian Navy "Cavour What do we have

For 15 years after the adoption of the aircraft carrier "Giuseppe Garibaldi" the command of the Italian Navy considered various projects of the new aircraft carrier. And it was decided to build a larger warship with enhanced capabilities.
The light aircraft carrier C550 "Cavour" of the Italian Navy was laid down on July 17, 2001 at the Riva Trigoso shipyard of the "Fincantieri" corporation and was launched on July 20, 2004, and officially transferred to the Navy on March 27, 2007.
In early 2009, the aircraft carrier Cavour became the flagship of the Italian fleet and was assigned to the new Mar Grande base in Taranto.

The ship is named after one of the most prominent statesmen of Italy in the nineteenth century - Minister Cavour, who did much to unite the country, and in 1861 decided to organize the Royal Navy.
The aircraft carrier "Cavour" is designed for 16-20 Harrier or F-35B fighters, or 18 EH101, NH 90 or SH-3D helicopters. The aircraft carrier is 244 meters long and 39 meters wide. It is capable of taking on board 1210 servicemen, more than 27 thousand tons of cargo.

The upper deck has bow and stern areas for aircraft parking for 4 and 8 units, respectively. The aircraft take-off area measures 184 x 14.2 m and is equipped with a 12 ° ramp. Behind it there are platforms for the simultaneous take-off of 6 EH-101 or 4 CH-47. Takeoff and landing are provided when the sea is up to 6 points, the maximum flight intensity can reach 60 sorties per day.
A hangar for aircraft with dimensions of 134x21x7.2 m. There are six lifts for lifting to the flight deck: two for aircraft (with a carrying capacity of 30 tons), two for ammunition (with a carrying capacity of 15 tons) and two service lifts (with a carrying capacity of 7 tons).

The light aircraft carrier "Cavour" can simultaneously be used as a universal amphibious assault ship, for which it is equipped with premises for 400 marines and 60 units of armored vehicles unloaded under their own power.
If necessary, the hangar deck can accommodate wheeled or tracked vehicles weighing up to 60 tons. To move it, the ship is equipped with aft and side ramps with a maximum carrying capacity of 60 tons. In addition, the ship can carry 4 LCVP landing craft.

The electronic equipment of the aircraft carrier "Cavour" includes:
- multifunctional radar with a phased antenna array;
- three-coordinate radar for detecting long-range air targets;
- radar for detecting air and surface targets of short and medium range;
- 2 x 76-mm gun mounts fire control radar;
- aircraft control radar, navigation radar;
- GAS for swimming and mine detection;
- infrared lighting system;
- infrared all-round visibility system;
- a system for landing aircraft on the deck.

There are also two jamming launchers and two SLAT anti-torpedo systems.
Light aircraft carrier "Cavour" can be autonomous for 18 days and travel 7000 nautical miles. For example, it is able to reach the Persian Gulf, while using only half of its fuel. Its top speed is 28 knots.

The main characteristics of the aircraft carrier "Cavour":
Displacement, t: standard - 27 910, full - more than 35000;
Length, m: 244;
Width, m: 39;
Draft, m: 8.7:
Engines: 4 gas turbine LM2500 engines;
Power: 118,000 hp with. (86.8 MW);
Speed, knots: 30 (55.56 km / h);
Cruising range, miles: 7000 at a speed of 16 knots;
Crew, people: 528, including 203 - flight technical personnel of the air group (in addition to them, the ship can accommodate a headquarters of up to 145 people);
Armament: 2 x 76-mm AU "Super Rapid", 3 x 25-mm AU "OTO Melara", 4 x 8 UVP "Silver" A43 (SAM "Aster-15");
Aviation group: 20-24 aircraft (AV-8B "Harrier-2" and F-35B) and helicopter (EH-101, NH-90 or SH-3D)

Light aircraft carrier(English Light aircraft carrier) - a subclass of aircraft carriers, which differ from multipurpose aircraft carriers in reduced size and limited combat capabilities. They appeared during the Second World War as a result of the desire of the belligerent states to quickly put into operation the maximum number of aircraft-carrying ships at reasonable costs. At the same time, the new class was supposed to operate as part of the shock formations of the fleet and, accordingly, have high speed and a solid air defense system that distinguished light aircraft carriers from escort aircraft carriers that appeared at the same time. The first light aircraft carriers were ships of the Independence class, which entered service in 1943.

World War II US light aircraft carriers

Light aircraft carriers of France

The first light aircraft carriers of the French Navy were planned for the Joffre-class aircraft carriers, which were created to replace the outdated aircraft carrier Béarn, which did not meet the speed requirements. The first aircraft carrier of the Joffre class was laid down in 1938, the laying of the second ship of the series was planned for the summer of 1940, but the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent surrender of France in June 1940 caused the termination of further work on them. Nevertheless, the Germans later took up the completion of the Joffre.

PA 28 is a project of a light aircraft carrier of the French Navy. It was developed in the late 1940s, but the preliminary design was prepared by August 1947. Compared to the aircraft carrier Joffre, the PA 28 had an enlarged hangar and had two catapults. The first ship of this project was planned to be laid at the shipyard of the naval arsenal in Brest. It was to be named Clemenceau (not to be confused with the real aircraft carrier Clemenceau). The design was based on the project of the aircraft carrier Joffre, which was not completed due to the outbreak of World War II, but was significantly improved. In 1950, the project was closed at the prototype stage.

After World War II, the French Navy leased light aircraft carriers from other countries. For example, in 1946, the Colossus-class British light aircraft carrier was leased to the French fleet, and renamed Arromanches. In January 1951, the US light aircraft carrier, the Independence USS "Lafayette", was leased to the French Navy under the same name (French La Fayette) and number R 96, returned to the United States in 1964, and scrapped in the same year. Another Independence - USS Belleau Wood from the USA was transferred to France in 1953 under an MDAP agreement, with an option to buy it out after 5 years. It entered the French Navy under the name Bois Bello and hull number R 97.

German light aircraft carrier projects

The Kriegsmarine command initially did not pay much attention to aircraft carriers, relying more on large artillery ships. The development of aircraft carriers began in Germany at the end of 1933 and involved the construction of a limited number of ships intended for raider operations in the Atlantic. However, the construction of the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin, which began in 1936, was slowed down for various reasons; the construction of a second ship of this type stopped almost immediately after the laying. Meanwhile, by 1942, the German naval command was convinced of the high value of aircraft carriers and put forward a number of projects for restructuring aircraft carriers of other types. Although the classification of the Kriegsmarine did not provide for the division of aircraft carriers into subclasses, two of the proposed projects can be attributed to light aircraft carriers.

In May 1942, a decision was made to convert the almost completed aircraft into an aircraft carrier. heavy cruiser Seydlitz of the Admiral Hipper class. After the approval of this project by A. Hitler in December 1942, work began on the dismantling of the gun turrets and superstructures of the cruiser. However, the work was carried out slowly and in June 1943 ceased completely. In its architecture, the failed aircraft carrier was reminiscent of the Graf Zeppelin, but its hangar was much smaller and could only accommodate 18 aircraft. It was supposed to make up an air group of 10 Bf-109T fighters and 8 Ju-87D dive bombers.

After unsuccessful attempts to finish building the French aircraft carrier Joffre captured in Saint-Nazaire, the German naval leadership decided to convert the unfinished French light cruiser De Grasse, which was located at the Lorient shipyard, into an aircraft carrier. The proposal was put forward in August 1942, and in January 1943 the project was prepared and approved. However, the huge volume upcoming works and the lack of component mechanisms forced the German command in February 1943 to abandon the conversion of De Grasse into an aircraft carrier. The project provided for the creation of a small aircraft carrier with an air group of 11 fighters and 12 torpedo bombers.

Projects of light aircraft carriers of the USSR

The Soviet fleet, recognizing the enormous importance of aviation in the fight at sea, until the mid-1930s did not seek to obtain aircraft carriers, adhering to the theory of a "small war at sea." In the 1920s, proposals were made to convert the unfinished battle cruiser Izmail and the training ship Komsomolets into a training aircraft carrier into an aircraft carrier, and in the same way they were going to rebuild the battleship Poltava, which had suffered from the fire. Although the alleged Soviet aircraft carriers fit into the restrictions imposed by the Washington Treaty, it never came to the start of work, not even a draft design was drawn up. Lack of funds for re-equipment of ships and development technical projects, as well as the desire to carry out any work in this direction predetermined the fate of these projects - there were no results. The construction of the fleet in accordance with the concept of the "Small Fleet" excluded any possibility of building aircraft carriers. They disappear from shipbuilding plans for ten years.

"Izmail" was dismantled for scrap, and the renamed "Mikhail Frunze" "Poltava" was going to be turned into a battle cruiser. The training ship "Komsomolets" continued service until 1956, and in 1956 the ship was turned into a floating barracks, and then expelled from the fleet.

An aircraft carrier is a class of warships, the main striking force of which is carrier-based aircraft. Aircraft carriers have a flight deck and other means of ensuring takeoff, landing and basing of aircraft and / or helicopters (in particular, hangars, technical facilities for servicing and refueling aircraft),

flight control and support facilities.

Leading aircraft carrier strike groups, aircraft carriers are operational and tactically highly mobile combat units that allow them to quickly concentrate significant forces in any area of ​​the World Ocean.

The development of new types of naval weapons has gradually changed the views on the role of military aircraft carriers. For many years it was a priority: until 1960, that is, until the appearance of nuclear submarines with missiles on board, not a single vessel, except for an aircraft carrier, could boast of belonging to the strategic navy. Over time, aircraft-carrying ships began to be divided into several main classes: heavy strike aircraft carriers (with a displacement of more than 70,000 tons), light aircraft carriers (with a displacement of 13,000-35,000 tons) and helicopter-carrying cruisers.

Attack aircraft carriers, most often with nuclear power plants and heavy attack aircraft on board, are capable of solving a wide range of tasks to combat large enemy groupings. For aircraft basing, a long flight deck (up to 330 m), a spacious hangar for 90-100 aircraft, powerful catapults and aircraft lifts are required. In terms of its architectural appearance, a heavy aircraft carrier is a smooth-deck ship with high sides and a small "island" superstructure in the middle of the hull, usually shifted to the starboard side. The upper deck has been specially extended with an angled flight deck. The runways are 90 m long.

On ships of this type, 2-4 catapults are usually installed, which allow aircraft to leave the deck of the ship with an interval of no more than 30 seconds. Briefly about the principle of operation of a steam catapult. The aircraft is attached to the hook (hook) of the shuttle, rigidly connected to the pistons of two steam cylinders located under the flight deck. The movement of the pistons of the cylinders and the acceleration of the shuttle with the aircraft to the required speed of 250 km / h are performed by steam pressure. After acceleration, the aircraft automatically unhooks from the shuttle hook and takes off.

Landing an aircraft on deck would have been impossible without aerofinishers, emergency barriers, landing indicators and other special systems. An aerofinisher, which reduces the length of the aircraft's path during landing, is a system of cables located across the landing deck and connected to the brakes located below it. The aircraft going to land releases a special tail hook and, clinging to the cables, smoothly decelerates. In case the plane cannot release the hook, an emergency barrier is provided in the form of a nylon net stretched between two posts.

Light aircraft carriers- the so-called "sea control ships" are not as versatile as heavy ones, and, as a rule, serve for anti-submarine and air defense of ship and convoy formations. Light attack aircraft, fighters and helicopters are based on them. Most light aircraft carriers carrying vertical take-off and landing aircraft do not need catapults or air controllers.

Helicopter cruisers- the best tool for anti-submarine defense and support for the landing of troops. Such ships do not have a continuous flight deck. In the bow they resemble a cruiser and only in the stern - an aircraft carrier. The first post-war strike aircraft carriers were American Forrestal-class ships launched in 1954-1958. and capable of carrying 90 heavy deck bombers with a takeoff weight of up to 35 tons.
This series included four ships: Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger and Independence, the total displacement of which was within 79,250-81,160 tons, and the length reached 318 m. The developers of these ships, "digested" experience of the war, paid special attention to the booking scheme, unsinkability and protection of the vessel from underwater explosions.
In addition to missile launchers, artillery weapons were installed on aircraft carriers, consisting of four 127-mm universal artillery mounts. The aircraft carriers were capable of accelerating to 34 knots. The crew of one ship was 5,500 people, of which 2,480 were flight crews.

"Forrestols" were not long in splendid isolation - soon they had followers. They were, on the one hand, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise, built in 1961, and on the other, four Kitty Hawk-class ships (1961-1968) with boiler and turbine installations.

At first, the United States planned to create only 1 nuclear aircraft carriers, but due to their high cost, they nevertheless decided to build ships of the Kitty Hawk type with a conventional power plant. But the long-term operation of the Enterprise has shown that, contrary to expectations, modern nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are not much more expensive for the state than conventional ones.

Since 1975, the US has been building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the Nimitz type. This series, in addition to the lead ship, included five more aircraft carriers: Eisenhower (1977), Vinson (1982), Roosevelt (1986), Lincoln (1990) and Washington "(1992). These are the largest strike aircraft carriers ever built. Their total displacement is no less than 91,500 tons, the length at the waterline is 317 m, the width of the hull is 40.8 m, and the dimensions of the corner take-off deck are 23T, 7 x 76.8 m.The maximum speed of these ships reaches 36 knots, and the cruising range 800,000-1,000,000 miles.

At the same time, the aircraft carriers are very weakly armed: only three twin rocket launchers and four 20-mm machine guns on each. Surely this is to blame for the concept adopted in the US Navy, according to which its escort ships should be entirely responsible for the anti-aircraft and anti-ship protection of an aircraft carrier. But it can easily fit 90 aircraft.

In 1990, while still in the USSR, a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the "Riga" type with a total displacement of 70,500 tons was commissioned. Traditional catapults on the cruiser were replaced by an aircraft springboard. "Riga" became the first Soviet ship, which provides for the basing of jet aircraft with horizontal take-off and landing. But the cruiser-aircraft carrier "Ulyanovsk" with full-fledged nuclear power was never destined to be born. This large ship with a displacement of 75,000 tons with a flight deck of 72 meters wide was built for three whole years, after which it was unexpectedly removed from the lists of the fleet and cut into metal.

Invincible giants like the Nimitzu seemed to have a place of honor in all navies. But most countries preferred light multipurpose aircraft carriers to them. An example of such ships are ships of the Invincible class (England), aircraft carriers J. Garibaldi ”(Italy),“ Priitz Asturias ”(Spain), two French ships of the“ Clemenceau ”class, the new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier“ Richelieu ”(also French), Soviet (now Russian) aircraft-carrying cruisers of the“ Kiev ”class and a number of outdated aircraft carriers of Argentina, Brazil and India.

All these, at first glance, not very similar vessels can be easily divided into two groups: light aircraft carriers with a displacement of 28,000-40,000 tons, which carry 20-80 aircraft and helicopters with a take-off weight of up to 20 tons, and new aircraft carriers - ships of control over the sea with a displacement 13,000-20,000 tons, carrying aircraft with vertical take-off and landing.

Light multipurpose aircraft carrier "Invisible", which became part of the British fleet in 1980, marked the beginning of a series of three ships. The total displacement of vessels of this type is 19,500 tons with a maximum length of 209 m and a width of 31.9 m. Their maximum speed is 28 knots and a cruising range of 5,000 miles. Aircraft carriers of the Invisible class belong to a new generation of ships - carriers of aircraft with vertical take-off and landing, which do not require auxiliary equipment. 8 aircraft and 12 helicopters are based on them. In addition to aviation, the armament of these ships includes an anti-aircraft missile system and two 20-mm short-range artillery mounts.

The French light aircraft carriers Clemenceau and Foch have a total displacement of 32,780 tons, a length of 215 meters and a width of 31.7 meters. The maximum speed reaches 32 knots, and the cruising range is 7,500 miles. Up to 40 aircraft and helicopters are based on each aircraft carrier. The Richelieu, launched in 1996, will soon have to replace these ships. This ship has a classic aircraft carrier architecture with a small superstructure pushed hard towards the bow.
The maximum length of the vessel is 261.5 m, the width at the waterline is 31.8 m, and the width of the flight deck is 61 m; nuclear power plant with a capacity of 82,000 liters. with. provides a full speed of 28 knots. The ship's armament, in addition to 40 aircraft and helicopters, consists of 5 launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems and 20-mm automatic cannons. They did not forget to equip Richelieu with electronic equipment, a jamming system and a hydroacoustic station located in the nose bulbous fairing. The living quarters are designed for 1,850 people, including pilots and paratroopers.

Italy also acquired a light aircraft carrier. It was the ship “J. Garibaldi ". Its displacement is 13,850 tons, the maximum length is 180.2 m, the width of the hull is 23.4 m, and the flight deck is 30.4 m.

Two powerful turbines provide the vessel with a speed of 30 knots, and fuel reserves - a cruising range of 7000 miles. Unlike the conventional aircraft carrier J. Garibaldn "carries a powerful universal missile weapon - four anti-ship installations and two anti-aircraft missile systems. The aircraft carrier's armament is complemented by three twin artillery mounts and two three-tube torpedo tubes to combat submarines. The ship is based on 16 Sea Books anti-submarine helicopters, although the option of accommodating six helicopters and eight aircraft is considered optimal. It is estimated that this will allow intercepting air targets at a distance of up to 800 km, air patrolling in an area of ​​up to 200 km, and air strikes at a distance of up to 370 km.

To replace the outdated aircraft carrier Daedalo, built back in 1943, in 1988 the Spaniards commissioned the light multipurpose aircraft carrier Priitz Asturias, a real sea control ship. This vessel is even more so than the Eiviisible and J. Garibaldi ", adapted for basing aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing. "Prince" has a displacement of 16,200 tons and a length of 175 meters. It is capable of taking on board 20 aircraft and helicopters. For short-range self-defense, four 20-mm anti-aircraft gun mounts are installed on it. The speed of this aircraft carrier is 26 knots.

In 1975, the Soviet Navy received the first of three Kiev-class cruisers (length 273.1 m, displacement 43,220 tons, crew of 1,300), on which a squadron of anti-submarine helicopters and vertical take-off and landing aircraft were based. None of these warships have survived to this day: in 1993-1994. all of them were disbanded and then dismantled, as required by the next disarmament program.

The development of helicopter construction and the successful use of these combat vehicles to combat submarines led to the emergence of a new class of aircraft-carrying ships - helicopter-carrying cruisers. In 1964, three such ships were commissioned almost simultaneously: the French Jeanne d'Arc and two ships of the Aidrea Doria class in Italy.

The helicopter cruiser Zhania d'Arc is a typical representative of its class of ships with a well-developed superstructure and a fairly large take-off and landing pad, which occupies about half of the ship's length. The cruiser is armed with eight Linke anti-submarine helicopters, an Exocet anti-ship missile launcher and four 100-mm universal gun mounts.

The Italian ships "Andrea Doria" and "Cayo Duilio" with a displacement of 6,500 tons are ordinary smooth-deck cruisers with an extended upper deck in the stern, where the landing site is located. Here, on the upper deck, there is an anrap for four helicopters. Armament is complemented by two three-tube torpedo tubes, a twin anti-aircraft missile launcher and eight 76-mm gun mounts.

Anti-submarine cruiser "Cayo Duilio" type "Andrea Doria"

The energetic Italians did not stop there and replenished their aircraft carrier, or rather, helicopter-carrying fleet with a new ship: in 1969 the multipurpose helicopter-carrying cruiser Vittorio Veneto entered service. He became a further development of ships of the "Andrea Doria" class, differing from them with stronger anti-submarine weapons and a much larger number of helicopters. There are nine of them on the ship. In addition to them, the cruiser is armed with a twin launcher of Terrier anti-aircraft missiles, an Asrok anti-submarine missile system, eight 76-mm universal gun mounts and two torpedo tubes. The ship has a displacement of 8850 tons, a turbine with a capacity of 73000 liters. with. provides a full speed of 32 knots and a cruising range of 5000 miles. The ship's crew consists of 550 people.

The British decided not to build new helicopter carriers, but to convert three Tiger-class cruisers into them. But the modernization of the first ship dragged on until 1971, besides, the costs were very high, and there was little sense. As a result, after re-equipping two ships, the third one was decided not to be altered. The newly minted helicopter carriers served in the British Navy until 1984.

In 1967, the Soviet fleet received the first of two Moskva-class anti-submarine cruisers (length 189.1 m, displacement 14,900 tons, maximum speed 30 knots, crew of 850 people), on which a squadron of 14 anti-submarine helicopters was based. The cruiser "Moskva" is still part of the Black Sea Fleet, and its brother "Leningrad" was disbanded in 1991 and then dismantled.

Helicopter cruisers did not receive further development... Over the past 20 years, not a single new ship of this class has been launched. Moreover, shipbuilding programs do not provide for their creation in the coming years. These ships are finally supplanted by light multipurpose aircraft carriers, the best embodiment of the concept of a ship for control of the sea.

Light aircraft carrier "Invincible"

After the end of World War II, Britain's mighty fleet began to gradually shrink. The collapse of the colonial empire reduced the need for large naval forces, NATO membership made it possible to share the burden of responsibility for many military-political decisions with partners, and far from brilliant financial position countries caused the desire to reduce costs.

In the late 1960s. it became obvious that the British carrier-based aviation was becoming obsolete and rapidly losing its former power, and after the aircraft carriers Bulwark and Arc Royal were withdrawn from the fleet in 1979, not a single ship of this class remained in the fleet. Only the former aircraft carrier "Hermes" survived, which in 1977 was reclassified as an anti-submarine helicopter carrier.

However, in 1973, construction began on a fundamentally new aircraft carrier designed to implement the latest trends in the development of military thought. The fact is that in 1969 the British aviation adopted the Harrier GR.1 multipurpose vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, developed by British Aerospace. They could take off from very small areas, and the spacious decks were perfect for this. The sailors appreciated the advantages of the new machine, and in 1975 the decision followed to equip the fleet with its naval version, the Sea Harrier FRS.1. The first prototype of the fighter-attack aircraft was flown over in the summer of 1978, and in March 1978, deliveries of production vehicles began.

At this time, the construction of new unusual ships, specially built as carriers of VTOL aircraft, was in full swing. The contract for the construction of the "Invincible" (R-05 "Invicible"), the lead in a series of light aircraft carriers, was signed in April 1973, and it was laid down at the Vickers shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness on July 20, 1973. for purely political reasons, until 1980, light aircraft carriers were classified as helicopter-carrying cruisers: the Laborites in power demonstrated with all their might that they opposed the construction of aircraft carriers. The Invincible was launched on May 8, 1975, the ship officially entered service on July 11, 1980. It had the following characteristics: standard displacement - 16,000 tons, total - 19,810 tons, length - 206.6 m, width - 31.9 m, draft - 7.9 m. Gas turbine power plant, four turbines with a total capacity of 112,000 hp. The ship had two propellers. The highest speed is 28 knots, the cruising range at economic speed is 7000 miles. Crew - 1000 people (as of April 1982 - 725 crew members and 365 people in the air group). Initially, the armament consisted of one launcher of Sea Dart anti-aircraft missiles, but, taking into account the experience of the Falklands War, it was re-armed with two 20 mm anti-aircraft guns, and then three 30 mm Goalkeeper assault rifles were added to them.

"Invincible"

In March 1982, the Argentines - propaganda called them laborers who had come to scrape old whaling vessels - raised the national flag on the South Georgia island in the South Atlantic. This was followed by the landing on this island and the Falkland Archipelago of the landing force, which the small and not heavy equipment of the British garrisons could not offer serious resistance. But the Conservative government, led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, refused to recognize the seizure of the islands and decided to restore the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over them by force. Submarines, surface ships, as well as numerous auxiliary and transport vessels with troops and a wide variety of cargo on board were sent to the South Atlantic. The basis of the 317th task force was made up of light aircraft carriers "Invincible" and "Hermes" (which became the carrier of VTOL aircraft in 1981).

The Invincible, commanded by Captain J.J. Black entered the conflict zone on April 25, 1982. At this time, eight Sea Harriers from the 801 Squadron and 11 Sea King helicopters from the 820 Squadron were based on it. Both aircraft carriers with escort ships during the period of hostilities tried to maneuver at the limit of the range of the Argentine aviation.

On the very first day of the outbreak of the air-sea battle - May 1, the Argentines suffered serious losses without achieving any success. The pilots of the 801st squadron chalked up the Mirage fighter and the Canberra bomber, they damaged three more aircraft (one of them was killed by Argentine anti-aircraft gunners by mistake). Own losses - one slightly damaged Sea Harrier. In total, during the conflict, fighters operating from the Invincible shot down eight enemy aircraft (for example, on May 21, three Dagger fighter-bombers and the Pukara attack aircraft), and one helicopter was "overwhelmed" together with the pilots based on the "Hermes" 800 th squadrons. Own losses amounted to four VTOL aircraft, and only one Sea Harrier was the victim of Argentine anti-aircraft fire, and three accidents. And this is not surprising: in the Southern Hemisphere, autumn was ending, they had to act in a difficult meteorological situation, with low clouds and disgusting visibility.

The actions of the British aircraft carriers made such an impression on the Argentine command that they decided: the sinking or serious damage of one of them could lead to the termination of the entire operation! Naturally, the Argentine aviation made attempts to attack such important targets. According to the pilots, they managed to achieve two bomb hits on the Invincible during the attack on May 30, but there is no reliable evidence of this.

On May 17-20, four Sea Harriers from the 809th squadron were delivered to the Invincible for the 801st squadron, and the helicopter group was also replenished. The fighting actually ended after the surrender of the Argentine troops on the islands on June 14, the British victory was complete and unconditional. After the fighting ended, the aircraft carrier returned to Portsmouth on October 19, 1982.

In subsequent years, the ship made many long voyages, participated in various exercises and operations of both the Royal Navy and NATO. The Invincible also had a chance to fight: in 1995, its aircraft took part in striking the positions of the Bosnian Serbs, in 1998 - they operated over southern Iraq, in 1999 - against Yugoslavia. However, during large-scale operations, the importance of a relatively small air group (18 Sea Harrier GR.7 / 9 and four helicopters) was far from being as significant as during the Falklands War. Further reductions in defense costs and gradual obsolescence forced the command to withdraw the ship to reserve in August 2005.

The Invincible stood idle for six years, with weapons and some of the equipment dismantled on it. The ship served as a source of spare parts for the same type "Illastries" and "Arc Royal". Only in March 2011 he was taken in tow to Turkey, where in the town of Aliaga, not far from Izmir, there is an enterprise for cutting ships into metal. In the same month, the Arc Royal was removed from the fleet, and the service of the Illastries is due to end in 2014.