HMS Hermes (R12)

HMS Hermes (R12) was a Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. Initially laid down during the Second World War, her construction was delayed and she entered service in 1959 with a significantly modernized design. The ship played a pivotal role in Cold War operations and most famously served as the flagship of the British task force during the Falklands War in 1982. After a long career, she was sold to the Indian Navy and recommissioned as INS Viraat.

Design and construction

The vessel was ordered from Vickers-Armstrongs at their Barrow-in-Furness yard in 1943 as part of the wartime 1942 Design Light Fleet Carrier program, later known as the Centaur class. Her keel was laid down in June 1944, but work slowed considerably after the end of hostilities. The design was subsequently revised during the long construction period, incorporating major post-war innovations such as an angled flight deck, a steam catapult, and a modern Type 984 3D radar system. These extensive modifications, which included a distinctive side-mounted island superstructure, meant she was launched in 1953 but not commissioned into the Royal Navy until November 1959, emerging as a very different vessel from her original plans.

Service history

Upon entering service with the Home Fleet, HMS Hermes initially operated as a conventional aircraft carrier, embarking air groups of de Havilland Sea Vixen fighters and Fairey Gannet anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Her early deployments included exercises with NATO allies and showing the flag across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In 1970, she participated in a major joint exercise, Exercise Bersatu Padu, with forces from Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Following the 1966 Defence White Paper and the retirement of larger carriers, her role evolved, and she was converted into a commando carrier in the early 1970s to support Royal Marines amphibious operations.

Operational deployments

As a commando carrier, Hermes deployed to the Indian Ocean and Far East, often operating Westland Wessex and later Westland Sea King helicopters. Her most significant operational period came in 1982 following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. Rapidly reconfigured at Portsmouth to operate British Aerospace Sea Harrier and Hawker Siddeley Harrier jets, she sailed as the flagship of Admiral Fieldhouse's task force under the command of Captain Linley Middleton. During the Falklands War, her air group provided critical combat air patrols, close air support, and aerial reconnaissance, playing a decisive role in the campaign to retake the islands.

Refits and modifications

The ship underwent several major refits throughout her career to adapt to changing military technology and strategic roles. After her 1971-1973 conversion to a commando carrier, her arresting gear and other fixed-wing features were removed. The urgent 1982 refit for the Falklands conflict saw the installation of a ski-jump ramp to enhance STOVL aircraft performance, additional Rapier missile positions, and modern electronic warfare suites. A final major modernization was conducted after the war at Devonport, which included improved command facilities and sensors, preparing her for continued service as an anti-submarine warfare carrier through the early 1980s.

Decommissioning and fate

With the Royal Navy consolidating its carrier force around the newer HMS *Invincible*, Hermes was decommissioned at Portsmouth in April 1984. In 1986, she was sold to India and, after an extensive refit at Devonport, was recommissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Viraat in May 1987. She served as the flagship of the Indian Navy for nearly three decades, undergoing further upgrades in India, before being finally decommissioned in Mumbai in 2017. Plans for conversion into a museum or hotel did not materialize, and the vessel was ultimately scrapped in Alang in 2020-2021.

Category:Aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy Category:Cold War aircraft carriers of the United Kingdom Category:Falklands War naval ships of the United Kingdom