Her construction began in 1978 by Swan Hunter at Wallsend. She was launched in 1981 by The Queen Mother and commissioned on 1 November 1985. Initially named Indomitable, public outcry led to the revival of the iconic Ark Royal name.
She was reportedly offered for sale to the Royal Australian Navy in 1981, although HMS Invincible was ultimately offered instead. She was deployed in the Adriatic during the Bosnian War in 1993 and underwent significant refitting in 1999, enhancing her capabilities.
She was recommissioned in 2001 and deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2003 for the Iraq invasion. Under Captain Alan Massey, she carried helicopters instead of her usual mix of aircraft. Tragically, two Sea Kings collided during operations, resulting in seven fatalities.
After an extensive refit, Ark Royal returned to the Royal Navy fleet in 2007 as the Fleet Flagship, a title she reclaimed from her sister ship Illustrious. She participated in various exercises and operations, including Joint Warrior in 2008.
In 2010, Ark Royal was part of Operation Cunningham during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption, aiding in the rescue of stranded travelers. That same year, she was in Halifax for the Royal Canadian Navy Centennial, where she was visited by UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
In October 2010, it was announced that Ark Royal would be decommissioned as part of budget cuts. She made her final voyage in November 2010, launching Harrier GR9s one last time. Her formal decommissioning took place on 11 March 2011 in Portsmouth.
Her legacy was honored with farewell parades in Portsmouth and Leeds. She was later sold to Leyal Ship Recycling in Turkey for scrapping.
Olivier Goossens
Heart of Oak 
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