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Who remembers this site in Sydney harbour back in the 70’s?

Unfortunately I am too young to remember this...but I do believe that once upon a time the RAN did have a few aircraft carriers...I wonder if we will acquire some again in the future with the pending arrival of an indigenous aircraft carrier from China....the return of proper aircraft carriers to the RN and the French also rebuilding as well. It feels like there is the beginnings of another arms race.

Worldwide at the present time there are only 6-8 carriers being built. The latest carriers to be launched are from China, France and India.

The arms race is actually going backwards lol. Every nation including the US have decreased the numbers of carriers in service over the years. But, in saying that, the efficiency of the latest carriers is such that one carrier is probably equivalent to 4 carriers of 40 years ago.

sirhc55 wrote:Worldwide at the present time there are only 6-8 carriers being built. The latest carriers to be launched are from China, France and India.

The arms race is actually going backwards lol. Every nation including the US have decreased the numbers of carriers in service over the years. But, in saying that, the efficiency of the latest carriers is such that one carrier is probably equivalent to 4 carriers of 40 years ago.

The point is that traditionally non-aircraft carrier nations with ambitious expansion programs (China) have equipped, and appear to be building more aircraft carriers. The UK seems well into their new carrier program as well, they have been without a proper aircraft carrier for many years. India are building a home grown model as opposed to buying older models being phased out by the UK.

All of a sudden it appears that there will be 5 nations with modern carriers in the next 10-15 years as opposed to only having the US and France with modern carriers capable of non V/STOL fixed wing operations. It also looks like Japan is in the midst of building a "helicopter carrier" that is said to look like it could potentially operate fixed wing aircraft as well. In my books that is a few too many aircraft carriers being built, and the China/India escalation surely must be on the minds of the Japanese and the USA.

In a whole the USN is shrinking their fleet but with China and India expanding and the UK's new aircraft carriers are nearing completion I would say we may be headed for an arms race sooner rather than later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth-class_aircraft_carrier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikrant-class_aircraft_carrier

not an aircraft carrier....sure looks like one
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izumo-class_helicopter_destroyer

Nope, I was in Scotland then. But, it a nice photo
of times gone by.

If any country needs an aircraft carrier it would be Australia.

Australia has only had three carriers, the first was HMAS Sydney (ex British Majestic class), the second was HMAS Melbourne (the one in the photo and also a Majestic class) and finally HMAS Vengeance (ex British Colossus class).

Could we take one of our older carriers, stuff our current crop of pollies onto it, tow it out to sea, and then scuttle the lot?



Can you guess I'm well and truly sick of all the bs?

But seriously, Chris, Big E? If so, I think it's currently moored (permanently) in the San Diego Maritime Museum.

During the days of its visit I was permanently moored inside the AMP building, which was once the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Ah, the '70s. Can we just go back there?

gstark wrote:Could we take one of our older carriers, stuff our current crop of pollies onto it, tow it out to sea, and then scuttle the lot?



Can you guess I'm well and truly sick of all the bs?

But seriously, Chris, Big E? If so, I think it's currently moored (permanently) in the San Diego Maritime Museum.

During the days of its visit I was permanently moored inside the AMP building, which was once the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Ah, the '70s. Can we just go back there?

During the 60s and 70s I made regular visits to Sydney as a part of annual cricket and rugby matches played between AMP Sydney and AMP Brisbane. A highlight of each visit was getting onto the roof of the Circular Quay building to check out the magical view of the harbour. Seems like another century now. Well, I suppose it was!