THE Rock has stepped in to save the iconic British warship HMS Ark Royal from the scrap heap.
The celebrated ship will now become a floating tourist attraction after it was decommissioned in March after 25 years in service.
A Gibraltar-based consortium is planning to bid for the 22,000-ton ship after the Ministry of Defence put her up for sale in Portsmouth.
“Having the last Ark here would be a fitting tribute to her and all the others,” said a
spokesman.
“We know how supportive the British public will be.”
And Mike Critchley, publisher of Warship World magazine, added: “Ark Royal is far too much of a national asset for her to be dragged off for scrap.”
If the bid is successful the aim is to turn the 30-year-old carrier – the fifth Royal Navy ship to bear the name – into an exhibition highlighting the roles of the Navy.
It would provide an added tourism boost to Gibraltar which has a long naval history and saw the third Ark Royal torpedoed just off the coast in 1941.
I can’t see this happening. The only feasible place would be on the South Mole, but a ship of that length would take up a lot of mooring space.
Did the consortium trying to purchase the Ark Royal win their bid and if not who did
This is a really good idea and I hope it happens.
If they do then it will not be with the ship in your picture. That one went for razor blades a long time ago.
“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ark_Royal_(91)”