Warship axed 3 years after £65m update
THE Royal Navy’s biggest warship is decommissioned today in a move described as “nonsense”.
HMS Ocean, which was Britain’s only helicopter carrier, is to be sold to Brazil for £85million.
Military chiefs spent £65million of taxpayers’ money refitting the ship just three years ago.
Ex-head of the Navy Admiral Lord West told the Mirror her retirement was “a huge loss”.
The Labour peer said: “It’s a very sad day. She is extremely valuable and is a key component of our amphibious capability.
“We have decided to pay her off early, primarily because there’s a shortage of funds within defence.”
HMS Ocean joined the Senior Service in 1998.