HMS Illustrious (R06)
1982-2014
CVS · Aircraft Carrier V STOL
| IMO: | 8949563 |
| MMSI: | 234601000 |
| Flight Deck: | L |
| Call Sign: | GVUN |
| Shipyard: | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) |
Timeline
| Date | |
|---|---|
| May 14, 1976 | |
| Oct 7, 1976 | Swan Hunter (Wallsend) Yard No. 102 |
| Dec 14, 1978 | fitted out by Swan Hunter at the ex-Vickers-Armstrong yard at High Walker. |
| Jun 20, 1982 | at sea, underway. Formally commissioned on 20 Mar 1983, after her maiden deployment. |
| Aug 2, 1982 |  South Atlantic Departed HMNB Portsmouth on her 1st operation with 814 NAS Sea Kings embarked, to relieve HMS Invincible on 27 Aug in the South Atlantic, following Operation Corporate. Also embarked 2x Wessex HU.5 XT485/314-L and XT458/315-L of 772 NAS. Joined en route by HMS Amazon as escort. Returned to UK 8 Dec. |
| Jul 16, 1984 | trials for Sea Harrier launched Sea Eagle missile system culminated in sinking of HMS Devonshire as a target. |
| Apr 3, 1986 | departed HMNB Portsmouth on 2 Apr for GLOBAL 86 deployment. On 3 Apr, coming up to full revolutions, an explosion of gear box oil vapour led to a serious fire. Returned to Portsmouth and repairs to starboard gearbox and forward gearing room lasted until mid Jul. Accident |
| Jul 14, 1986 | Sea Kings of 814 NAS HQ Flt embarked for pre-deployment work-up. |
| Jul 21, 1986 | to Far East and Australia for the GLOBAL 86 deployment with 814 NAS HQ Flt and 849 NAS A Flt embarked, returning to Portsmouth on 18 Dec 1986. |
| Aug 18, 1986 |  Sembawang naval base caught up with GLOBAL 86 Task Group at Singapore, after a 4 month delay in Portsmouth GLOBAL 86 |
| Aug 26, 1986 | departed Singapore to meet RFA Olmeda in the South China Sea and recover the 2 Sea Kings of 814 NAS detached to her. GLOBAL 86 |
| Oct 4, 1986 | participated in celebrations for 75th anniversary of Royal Australian Navy at Sydney, during GLOBAL 86 deployment. Fleet Review: 75th anniversary of RAN |
| Nov 14, 1986 | visited Bombay (Mumbai) during GLOBAL 86 deployment. |
| Sep 1991 | until Sep 1993 at HMD Devonport. Goalkeeper update refit Goalkeeper |
| Feb 1995 |  Dalmatian coast to the Adriatic to relieve HMS Invincible. On station until Jul 1995, when relieved by HMS Invincible. UNPROFOR |
| Dec 9, 1995 | Dalmatian coast relieved HMS Invincible, on station as Flagship of UK Adriatic Task Force supporting IFOR, until Feb 1996 when she returned to the UK. IFOR (implementation force) |
| 1996 | in Adriatic sea IFOR (implementation force) |
| Jun 1996 | Operation Purple Star, Westlant |
| Jan 13, 1997 | departed UK for Far East deployment, returned end of Aug. Task Group 327.01 Ocean Wave 97 deployment |
| Sep 28, 1999 |  Amsterdam Harbour from 28 September to 1 October Amsterdam, Netherlands. on board Sea King from 820Sqn. and 849Sqn. XV649 : XV650 : XV706 : XZ571 : XZ574 : ZA128 : ZA133 : ZD630 : ZD633 : ZE420. Plus 7 Sea Harrier from 801Sqn. |
| Jan 17, 2000 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for a Persian Gulf deployment, returning, after diversions on 14 Jun. |
| May 8, 2000 |  Freetown Port from standing off Lisbon, ordered off Freetown Sierra Leone to support Operation Palliser, arriving on 12 May with seven Sea Harriers, six Harriers and five Sea Kings embarked. Sierra Leone Operation Palliser |
| Aug 24, 2001 | HMNB Portsmouth Present at IFoS Portsmouth. IFoS 2001 International Festival of Sea 2001 |
| Sep 3, 2001 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for Persian Gulf and exercise Saif Sareea II. Remained in area following 9/11 attacks in the US as a contingency but relieved by HMS Ocean in Jan 2002. |
| Dec 2002 | HMD Rosyth Refit at Babcock Rosyth until Nov 2004 to convert for Merlin operations and remove Sea Dart twin launcher with its Type 909 fire direction radar. Merlin upgrade refit |
| Mar 29, 2006 | departed HMNB Portsmouth (814 NAS Merlin and 849 NAS A Flt Sea King embarked), leading the Aquila 06 deployment to the Persian Gulf, escorted by HMS Gloucester and supported by RFA Brambleleaf, RFA Diligence and RFA Fort Victoria. Gloucester and Illustrious were later detached and ordered back to Beirut, Lebanon. Aquila 06 |
| Jul 2006 |  off Lebanon assisted in evacuation of British nationals from Beirut, during Israel-Lebanon war Operation Highbrow |
| Nov 10, 2006 | moored on the Thames at Greenwich Reach. Eventually departed 15 Nov. Greenwich Reach |
| May 2007 | 854 NAS Sea King ASaC.7 XV697 / 181 embarked |
| Jul 7, 2007 | USMC Osprey first landing on a non-US ship |
| Feb 2008 | left HMNB Portsmouth after some false starts due to defects, as flagship of Task Group 328.01, for the Orion 08 deployment. Embarked 6 Merlin HM.1 of 814 NAS, plus 849 NAS A Flt. Until 31 May Ex Orion 08 |
| Feb 26, 2008 |  Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta entered Malta, escorted by HMS Edinburgh. Departed 29 Feb. Ex Orion 08 |
| May 13, 2008 | four day visit to Instanbul, to host HM The Queen and President of Turkey on 15 May. On 14 May, a fault with an aircraft tug almost dragged 814 NAS Merlin ZH835 / (2)70 over the side. The tug and driver were recovered. Departed 18 May. Ex Orion 08 |
| Jul 25, 2008 | HMNB Portsmouth At HMNB Portsmouth, 25-27 Jul for Meet Your Navy 2008 Meet Your Navy 2008 |
| May 6, 2009 | Greenwich Reach visited London for Fly Navy 100 (celebrating 100 years of the Fleet Air Arm), moored at Greenwich Reach on the River Thames. Departed 10 May 2009. |
| Oct 5, 2009 | participated in Ex JW 09-2, initially on the River Clyde with 815 NAS Lynx HAS.3S(ICE) XZ246/434-EE and 849 NAS Sea King ASaC.7 ZE418/186 embarked Exercise Joint Warrior 09-2 |
| Feb 8, 2010 | after entering Crombie for de-storing, HMS Ilustrious began a 16 month refit at Babcock in Rosyth, departing 20 Jun 2011. |
| Dec 2011 | visited Hamburg, following completion of post refit training |
| Feb 3, 2012 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 8 week cold weather work up off northern Norway |
| Feb 29, 2012 | visited North Shields for 4 day visit to Tyneside, departed on 3 Mar. |
| Mar 9, 2012 |  Evenes Harstad collided with tug in Harstad (Norway) and holed twice above waterline. Returned to HMNB Portsmouth on 18 Mar for repairs. Harstad |
| Sep 2012 | first of type trials for Merlin HM.2 ZH826 for 12 day performance assessment period, off Plymouth |
| Oct 1, 2012 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for 3 month Cougar 12 deployment in the Mediterranean, with a detachment of Apache from 656 Sq AAC, Merlins from 814 NAS, 2x ASaC Sea Kings from 854 NAS and a mixed detachment of 845 NAS and 846 NAS Commando Sea Kings. Also deployed were HMS Bulwark, HMS Montrose and HMS Northumberland, with RFA Mounts Bay and mv Hartland Point in support. |
| Nov 19, 2012 | Grand Harbour / il-Port il-Kbir / Valletta 5 day visit to Valletta, Malta, including 2 day Ship Open to Visitors, departing 23 Nov. Grand Harbour |
| Feb 14, 2013 | Pier Head to Liverpool for 5 day visit including Ship Open to Visitors on 16 and 17 Feb. Cruise Liner Terminal |
| Apr 26, 2013 |  Dublin Port on completion of Exercise Joint Warrior, visited Dublin and departed 29 Apr Alexandra Basin |
| May 8, 2013 | Greenwich Reach moored on the Thames at Greenwich Reach, for Battle of the Atlantic commemorations. Eventually departed 14 May. |
| Aug 12, 2013 | departed HMNB Portsmouth for Gulf, Red Sea and Horn of Africa to participate in Ex Cougar 13. Embarked a Merlin from 829 NAS and 3x Lynx Mk.9A from 659 Sq AAC. Returned to HMNB Portsmouth on 10 Jan 2014. Cougar 13 |
| Oct 24, 2013 | Persian Gulf transit through the Strait of Hormuz, escorted by HMS Montrose, as part of Cougar 13 deployment. Attached to CTF-150. Ordered to Philippines on 14 Nov. |
| Nov 25, 2013 |  Visayan Sea arrived in the Philippines to relieve HMS Daring, during the humanitarian mission to assist after Typhoon Haiyan with an 829 NAS Merlin, 3x 845 NAS Commando Sea Kings and 3 Lynx AH.7 of 659 Sq AAC. Departed 11 Dec. Typhoon Haiyan relief operations |
| Jun 2014 |  Jardim do Tabaco visit to Cruise Terminal, Lisbon after Exercise Deep Blue, departed 26 Jun Lisboa |
| Jun 16, 2014 | Royal Navy Merlin Mk2 in Exercise Deep Blue |
| Jul 6, 2014 | Crombie Jetty at Crombie Jetty for de-storing |
| Jul 18, 2014 | departed Rosyth in early hours of 18 July |
| Jul 22, 2014 | Returned to HMNB Portsmouth for final time |
| Aug 28, 2014 | decommissioned at HMNB Portsmouth |
| Dec 7, 2016 |  Aliaga departed Portsmouth for final time under tow for Turkey and scrapping. Arrived at Aliaga on 27 Dec; scrapping completed by 22 Jun 2017. Shipbreakers |
See also
| Built | Ship | Class | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | R87 | HMS Illustrious | Illustrious class |