Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy ties up in Gibraltar

AFTER spending six months on deployment with the last three being spent in the Gulf, HMS Ocean, the largest warship currently in the British Navy called in to Gibraltar for a few days en route to her home base in Devonport.

Commissioned in 1998 and with an expected life of just 10 years the helicopter and troop carrier which has a complement of 720, will actually be decommissioned next year and as part of cost savings will not be replaced on a like for like basis.

It is however intended that one of the two major aircraft carriers currently due for completion, HMS Prince of Wales, will be upgraded to allow for the inclusion of a Royal Marine amphibian unit.