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RO-6 Illustrious
"Lusty"

HMS Illustrious was decommissioned in November 2014. On 28 August 2014 the ship’s white ensign was lowered for the final time in front of hundreds of guests, ending an era which began with the launch of her sister ship HMS Invincible in 1977. In 32 years of exemplary service, between 1982 and 2014, HMS Illustrious covered over 900,000 nautical miles. Operations ranged from stabilization efforts in the immediate aftermath of the first Gulf War and delivering humanitarian aid after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines in 2013.

Illustrious was replaced as the nation’s helicopter carrier by HMS Ocean which had just undergone a £65 million refit. Ocean will eventually be replaced by two new 65,000-tonne aircraft carriers being built for the navy; HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

In October 2013, the MOD launched a competition to seek innovative bids to retain the aircraft carrier in the UK. The aim of the competition was to see part or all of the ship developed for heritage purposes and, while a number of bids were received, none proved to be viable. Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin said: "We have done all we can for over two years to find a home for the former HMS Illustrious in the UK, and regrettably all options have now been exhausted. It is with a sense of pride for her and her crews’ achievements that we say goodbye to the ship, and we look forward to the arrival in Portsmouth of the UK’s next generation of aircraft carriers."

The Disposal Services Authority (DSA) invited expressions of interest for the potential sale of the former HMS Illustrious for recycling. Viewing of the vessel took place in June 2016 and any parties wishing to bid but no longer hold a valid PQQ or have not previously completed one, would be invited to complete a PQQ in due course. The closing date for interested parties was 17.00hrs (GMT) Monday 23 May 2016. The ship was sold to Turkish company LEYAL Ship Recycling Ltd for around £2 million. The Royal Navy’s former aircraft carrier Illustrious left Portsmouth 07 December 2016.

Both Invincible and Ark Royal, the sister ships of Illustrious, were also recycled. It was anticipated that Illustrious would leave Portsmouth for Turkey in the autumn of this year, ahead of the arrival of the first of the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2017. The QEC aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, would transform the Royal Navy’s ability to project influence overseas, able to respond to crises, while promoting prosperity and British values globally.

Mike Utley, former Commanding Officer on HMS Illustrious, said: "Lusty provided a world-class service to the Royal Navy for over three decades. We will bid her farewell with a heavy heart but in the knowledge that everything has been done to find a use for her. As the former aircraft carrier gets ready to leave Portsmouth, so we can look to the future and the arrival of the new Queen Elizabeth Class carriers, which will ensure that the Royal Navy continues to be a pre-eminent maritime power in the modern world."

HMS Illustrious was the second of three Invincible class aircraft carriers and the fifth ship of the name. Illustrious or "Lusty" as she was fondly known to her crew was built at Swan Hunter on the Tyne and subsequently commissioned in her base port of Portsmouth in 1982.

HMS Illustrious was built at Swan Hunters on the Tyne and was launched in 1982 by HRH Princess Margaret. She was affiliated to the City of Newcastle and the City of Dover. She was very proud of her 10 battle honours ranging from Genoa in 1795 to Okiniwa in 1945, including her assistance in the defence of Malta in 1941.

The ship's motto was "Vox Non Incerta" meaning "No Uncertain Sound".

After a much welcomed leave period from the ships extended deployment in the fight against terrorism, "Lusty" formally handed over the prestigious role of Fleet Flagship to her younger sister HMS Ark Royal in July 2002 and reduced her crew from 700 to approximately 200 who worked hard to de-store the ship of spares and equipment in readiness for the ships much deserved refit and upgrade package which should enhance her capabilities in line with current defence policy.

As part of the multi million pound refit and upgrade package the ship will be fitted out to be able to operate and support the Royal Navy's latest helicopter asset "Merlin". She will also build on lessons from her last deployment in support of the fight against terrorism where she was at the forefront in deploying troops into Afghanistan by upgrading facilities onboard to enable her to re-role at short notice from a ship which can deploy fighters, bombers, anti submarine and airborne early warning helicopters to embarking, deploying and sustaining Royal Marine and multi national forces ashore in any area of the world.

"Lusty" finally sailed to Rosyth in bonny Scotland at the end of September 2002. Her reduced crew of 200 spent a final month working hard to de-store the ship of spares and equipment before she was formally handed over to Babcocks Support Services Limited (BSSL) on 11 Nov 02. The ship herself was in dry dock and engulfed in the world's supply of scaffolding! She was not expected to return to the Fleet until early 2005.

The crew was reduced to 45 personnel, mainly engineers who will play an active part in overseeing the refit and ensuring Illustrious emerges ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century. They moved into a nearby office block and are living at RNSE Caledonia, just outside the dockyard gates.

As part of the multi million pound refit and upgrade package the ship will be fitted out to be able to operate and support the Royal Navy's latest helicopter asset "Merlin". She also built on lessons from her last deployment in support of the fight against terrorism where she was at the forefront in deploying troops into Afghanistan by upgrading facilities onboard to enable her to re-role at short notice from a ship which can deploy fighters, bombers, anti submarine and airborne early warning helicopters to embarking, deploying and sustaining Royal Marine and multi national forces ashore in any area of the world. This was part of a hat-trick of carrier refits totalling £360 million which built a third mast on the ship and overhauled the computer systems, flight deck, living quarters, and communication networks.

Since then she was deployed to the Indian Ocean, with both helicopters and fast jets, was involved in the evacuation of Lebanon, and for the past 12 months has been the Royal Navy's flagship and strike carrier, leading the multi-national Joint Warrior exercises off Scotland's West coast.

In a further boost to the Scottish economy, Royal Navy flagship HMS Illustrious arrived in Scotland on Monday 09 February 2001 for a £40 million maintenance and upgrade program at Rosyth Dockyard in Fife. The Ministry of Defence contract with Babcock provided employment for about 300 people for eighteen months - until August 2011. More importantly it was part of a continuous work program at the dockyard before the assembly of the new Navy super carriers started. Well over 400 staff at Rosyth were already working on the project to build HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, and large parts have been arriving since the end of 2009. This time she will not be having a refit, but will undergo essential maintenance to ensure the carrier can continue in service until the second new carrier, HMS Prince of Wales was in service, and to make her more fuel efficient, improving her green credentials. The work includes: replacing 500 metres of pipework, 650 valves and all eight exhausts; painting the ship with 540,000 litres of paint which improves fuel efficiency; a comprehensive structural survey; renewal of essential safety certification; and various improvements to make the ship and its crew more environmentally efficient.

This work will allow HMS Illustrious to continue as a highly flexible strategic defence asset for a number of years, capable of taking part in military operations across the globe, whether it's delivering troops, launching aircraft which can provide close air support to troops on the ground, disaster relief and humanitarian aid."

The First Illustrious

The first HMS Illustrious, a "third-rate" 74-gun frigate, was launched at Buckler's Hard in 1789 and saw action against the French off Toulon in 1793 and at Genoa in 1795. She was severely damaged in later action and driven ashore by a violent storm while being towed home for repair. She was set ablaze and abandoned.

The Second Illustrious

Launched in Rotherhithe in 1803, the second HMS Illustrious was also a 74-gun frigate. She had a long career, winning battle honours at Basque Roads and Java before becoming a training ship in 1854. She was broken up in Portsmouth in 1868.

The Third Illustrious

The third HMS Illustrious was launched in 1896. A battleship with 12 and 6 inch guns, she was already obsolete by 1914 and spent most of the Great War as an ammunition store ship. She was scrapped in 1920.

The Fourth Illustrious

The fourth Illustrious was one of the most distinguished ships of the Second World War. She was the first of a new class of Aircraft Carrier and was commissioned in 1940. Her first theatre of action was the Mediterranean in defence of the Malta convoys and where, on 11 November 1940, twenty Swordfish aircraft attacked the Italian Naval Base at Taranto. They inflicted severe damage on the Italian Fleet and helped to tip the balance of Mediterranean Sea power in favour of the Allies. Early in 1941, she suffered extensive damage and many casualties in a relentless attack by Stuka dive-bombers. After emergency repairs, she managed to escape to the United States where she was refitted and returned to active service in late 1941. After playing a major role in operations off Diego Suarez, Salerno and Sumatra, she supported the US landings at Okinawa. This was to be her final action of the war. After hostilities had ended, she returned to home waters as a training and trials ship before being laid up in 1954 and finally scrapped in 1957.