31 sensational throwback photos of Royal Navy carrier HMS Invincible

As one the Royal Navy’s lead aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible played a major role during the Falklands War.

She was first launched in May 1977 and was the seventh ship to carry that name. Originally she was built as an anti-submarine warfare carrier, but worked alongside HMS Hermes during the conflict as an aircraft carried.

Invincible was also deployed in the Yugoslav Wars and Iraq War but was decommissioned in 2005 and sold for scrap to the Turkish company Leyal Ship Recycling in February 2011.

Here are a selection of historic photos from HMS Invincible’s history.

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21. HMS Invincible

Leading Airman Steve Collins (bottom left) with some of his colleagues in the hangar deck of HMS Invincible where the Sea Harriers are maintained. Photo: The News archive