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MIL021 -  Edition 2,000

  Ark Royal

The Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, is the fifth vessel to bear the distinguished name. The first, a 38-gun ship built for Sir Walter Raleigh, saw action against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Following a major refit, the most recent ship of this proud family is well equipped for modern warfare. Able to operate the Navy's latest Merlin helicopters as well as Harrier jump jets, the 20,000-ton carrier can also cruise at more than 30 knots.
A central part of the Navy's strength, the ship is both a mobile airfield and a command and control base. She has a crew of 686 who work alongside 366 airmen and women to keep the vessel and her aircraft running. Ark Royal also received a new main mast and fresh combat systems in the two-year refit, completed in autumn 2001, at Rosyth in Dunfermline. At 210 metres (683 feet) long, Ark Royal is larger than her sister ships Illustrious and Invincible, and also has a steeper flight ramp to assist take-offs.