MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Plans to recycle veteran warship of the Falklands conflict

HMS Fearless

The former Royal Navy amphibious assault ship Fearless, which was a key part of the Falklands fleet, is expected to be recycled at a Belgian shipyard, the Ministry of Defence announced today.

The 12,000-tonne vessel has been moored in Portsmouth Harbour since leaving service in 2002. Fearless was replaced by the much larger and better-equipped assault ship, HMS Bulwark. Van Heyghen Recycling was selected as the preferred bidder by the MoD's Disposal Services Authority (DSA) following an open competition. The company was selected against a range of criteria that included a guarantee to recycle as much of this ship as possible. Van Heyghen can now apply for all necessary approvals to carry out this work. The contract will not be placed until these permissions have been secured and the MOD is satisfied that the work can be carried out in compliance with all UK and EU laws and international agreements. Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Lord Drayson said: "The selection of Van Heyghen Recycling as the preferred bidder for the salvage of Fearless demonstrates our commitment to reprocessing military equipment in an environmentally friendly way. These arrangements are fully compliant with EU legislation and international treaties concerning the safe treatment of waste." Leavesley International, based in the UK, has been selected recently as the "preferred bidder" for the recycling of Fearless' sister ship, Intrepid. The company is in the process of securing the necessary permits and the MoD expects to be in a position to confirm this contract by the end of the year. Fearless was launched in 1963, shortly before her sister ship, Intrepid. Both vessels were designed to support Royal Marine Commandos on amphibious operations by transporting and landing troops and equipment. Their flight decks supported helicopters and even Harrier jets during the Falklands conflict of 1982, in which both ships played a key role. They have been replaced by HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion respectively.