MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

HMS Illustrious at Centenary celebration of Naval Aviation

Royals Navy's Invincible Class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious

HMS Illustrious, which played a role in the aftermath of the 1982 Falklands War, is to visit London to mark the Centenary Year of Naval Aviation next week. On May 7 1909 the Admiralty first set aside £35,000 for the development of an airship - the process that led to the formation of the Fleet Air Arm.

A Port of London Authority (PLA) spokesperson said: “Those 100 years have seen a breathtaking development from flimsy aircraft that struggled to leave the ground to supersonic stealth fighters”.

”As technology has developed, so too has ideology; Naval Aviation began the 20th century as an interesting sideshow in the armament of the Royal Navy, and ended it as the centrepiece”.

Fly Navy 100 is a program of events and publications that aims to celebrate and commemorate this remarkable centenary. It aims to showcase among both the public and the Service communities the endurance, flexibility, and above all potency, of Naval Aviation.

Aircraft were first launched from a ship in 1912 and in 1918 the first true aircraft carrier was commissioned. Now, the aircraft carrier marks out the premier league navies from the rest. It is the punch of the nation and a symbol of its power.

Countless modern-day Prime Ministers have found that the carrier has been indispensable to the execution of their foreign policy in the Falkland Islands, Bosnia, Sierra Leone or Iraq.

HMS Illustrious, one of the Royals Navy's Invincible Class aircraft carriers, will visit London in May to add its considerable presence to Fly Navy 100 celebrations in the capital.

Greenwich and the Old Royal Naval College will make a stunning backdrop the ship will be available for visits from organised groups, providing a truly special opportunity to explore one of the most powerful instruments in the UK's armed forces.

HMS Illustrious was laid down at Swan Hunter on the River Tyne in 1976, and launched in 1978. As the ship neared the end of its fitting out period, the Falklands War broke out and as a consequence, work on Illustrious was greatly speeded up.

The war was over before Illustrious could be finished, but she did perform a useful service in the aftermath. Until the RAF airfield on the Falklands was repaired, an aircraft carrier was required on station to protect the area.

Since HMS Invincible had been on station for many months Illustrious steamed to its relief. However, Illustrious was needed so quickly that the ship was actually commissioned whilst underway. After the RAF airfield was repaired, Illustrious returned to the UK for a full shakedown cruise and workup period, with a formal commissioning on 20 March 1983.