New Aircraft Carrier Joins British Navy
Associated Press
PORTSMOUTH, England — The Ark Royal, Britain’s third aircraft carrier, entered service Monday with a call at this southern English port.
The 20,000-ton ship, built at a cost of more than $260 million, joins the aircraft carriers Illustrious and Invincible, in Britain’s scaled-down seaborne air arm. Because of an economy drive by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the ships no longer have their own complements of aircraft and must take turns using them.
The new ship carries 20 aircraft and a navy and fleet air arm crew of 1,200.
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