HMS Hermes (R12)

Hermes with her final air wing prior to converting to the Commando/ASW carrier role
History
United Kingdom
NameHermes
NamesakeHermes
BuilderVickers-Armstrong
Laid down21 June 1944
Launched16 February 1953
Commissioned25 November 1959
Decommissioned1984
Stricken1985
HomeportHMNB Portsmouth
IdentificationPennant number: 61 (1945) R12 (1951) R22 (as Viraat)
FateSold to India, 1986, and renamed Viraat, scrapped 2021
India
NameViraat
AcquiredMay 1987
Decommissioned6 March 2017[1]
IdentificationPennant number: R22
General characteristics
Class and typeCentaur-class aircraft carrier
Displacement
Length
  • 198.12 m (650 ft 0 in) p.p.
  • 225.20 m (738 ft 10 in) f.d. (as built)
  • 226.90 m (744 ft 5 in) o.a. (with ski-jump)
Beam
  • 27.43 m (90 ft 0 in) w.l.
  • 43.90 m (144 ft 0 in) f.d.
Draught8.50 m (27 ft 11 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement2,100
Sensors and
processing systems
MRS-3 fire-control system
Armament
Aircraft carried
Hermes in 1962

HMS Hermes was a conventional British aircraft carrier and the last of the Centaur class.

Hermes was in service with the Royal Navy from 1959 until 1984, and she served as the flagship of the British forces during the 1982 Falklands War.

After being sold to India in 1986, the vessel was recommissioned and remained in service with the Indian Navy as INS Viraat until 2017.

  1. ^ After nearly 30 years with Indian Navy, aircraft carrier INS Viraat decommissioned, Z News, 6 March 2017, archived from the original on 8 March 2017, retrieved 2 June 2017