HMS Illustrious departs Rosyth for the final time

HMS Illustrious has begun sea trials following the completion of a £40m maintenance and upgrade programme lasting 16 months.

She is seen here leaving Rosyth to start her second set of sea trials on the 18 June 24 hours later than planned.

She underwent modifications to turn her into a helicopter and commando carrier, capable of carrying a force of up to 20 helicopters and 600 fully kitted-out personnel.

During which time 540,000 litres of paint were used on the ship, including a fuel-efficient outer hull coating that will save tonnes of fuel and CO2 emissions over her remaining life.

Having already completed one week of initial sea safety training and preliminary sea trials (See HERE for her previous departure from Rosyth), the Portsmouth-based ship will now undergo a further five weeks of sea trials before returning to the fleet at the end of July 2011.

HMS Illustrious will then assume a helicopter and commando carrier role while HMS Ocean undergoes a planned refit, which is due for completion by 2014.

HMS Illustrious is due to retire from service in 2014.

She is seen here approaching the Forth Road Bridge

This is probably the last picture of an Invincible Class Aircraft Carrier sailing under the Forth Bridge

Good luck with the trials guys

HMS Illustrious

Hms Illustrious returned to the Firth of Forth today, following a week of sea trials in the Firth of Forth and North Sea areas after a 14 month £40 million refit at Rosyth Dockyard.

She is seen here sailing under the iconic Forth Rail Bridge on her way to Crombie Pier for storing up.

She is going to Rosyth shortly for a few days before finally sailing out of the Forth for the very last time as she is due to retire in just three years time...

HMS Illustrious

After a 16 month refit at Rosyth Dockyard HMS Illustrious is seen here departing on Friday 3rd June 2011 for her post refit trials which are expected to take several weeks. 

See HERE for her arrival back in February 2010.

See here finally underway after 16 months in the hands of the dockyard workers:

Building up steam:

Four tugs now assisting Lusty's departure:

And back to two tugs:

Head on from the Forth Road Bridge:

This image shows her full length as she disappears under the Forth Road Bridge:

Lets not forget the Forth Ports tug Oxcar who had a big job in pulling Lusty down the channel:

Armed Forces Day 2011 Programme

Armed Forces Day 2011 Programme

Programme of events Friday 24 June 2011 (Ocean Terminal)

HMS Portland opens to visitors

Opening Ceremony - quayside performance by Royal Marine Band

Royal Navy Field Gun Display

Royal Marine Band Performance

Sea Cadet Display

Royal Marines Commando Display

Royal Marine Band Beat the Retreat

Red Arrows Aerial Display

Dragon Boat Racing

Programme of events Saturday 25 June 2011

90 Harley Motorbikes to Parade down High St to Holyrood Park ahead of the Armed Forces Day Parade

Search and Rescue Helicopter will fly down the High Street ahead of the Parade 

Official Armed Forces Day Parade, which includes vintage military vehicles carrying veterans unable to take part and a shorter route for those less mobile.

Red Arrows Fly Past Over Edinburgh Castle towards Leith and Holyrood Park Arena

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane will fly over Holyrood Park

Holyrood Park Arena & Stage

Programme of music, entertainment displays, parachute display team, Royal Marines / Royal Navy combat demo, highland dancing, music various, and non military entertainment

Holyrood Park

Veterans village: Armed Forces Day Bar, veteran's tents, flight simulators, portable climbing wall / inflatable assault course, catering, children's activities - bouncy castle, crazy golf, sumo, bucking bronco, and various veteran's associations and recruiting display. 

Holyrood Park Arena

Beat retreat

3 x Tornadoes and 3 x Typhoons will flypast as the flags are lowered 

Programme of events Sunday 26 June 2011

Edinburgh Castle Arena

Massed Pipes and Drums begin to form up at Edinburgh Castle / Johnstone Terrace and will parade down High Street.

Holyrood Park Arena & Stage

Programme of music, entertainment displays, parachute display team, Royal Marines / Royal Navy combat demo, highland dancing, music various, and non military entertainment

Holyrood Park

Military Fitness Session at Holyrood Park the day will begin with a massed military fitness session in the park, Armed Forces Day Bar, veteran's tents, flight simulators, portable climbing wall / inflatable assault course, catering, children's activities - bouncy castle, crazy golf, sumo, bucking bronco, and various veteran's associations and recruiting display. 

Holyrood Park Arena

Beat retreat

Edinburgh Prepares For UK's Biggest Ever Armed Forces Day

Preparations are in full swing to host a three-day celebration of the UK's Armed Forces in Edinburgh this summer which takes on the mantle of the national centrepiece for 2011's Armed Forces Day celebrations.

Edinburgh is gearing up to lay on the biggest-ever Armed Forces Day national event from 24 to 26 June 2011, with a parade, musical entertainment, exhibitions, aerial displays and a Royal Navy ship open to visitors.  This prestigious role for the city was announced in Cardiff last summer.

Events will kick off in Leith on the afternoon of Friday 24 June 2011, and will include tours of HMS Portland, a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, and various water-based displays in Leith Docks, culminating in a full display by the Red Arrows over the Firth of Forth.  There will also be the opportunity to watch a Royal Marines Commando display, a Royal Navy field gun display, and displays by cadets.

On Armed Forces Day itself, Saturday 25 June 2011, a parade of up to 1,500 serving personnel, veterans and cadets will march down the Royal Mile from the Castle Esplanade to Holyrood Park.  The parade will end with a short ceremony of thanks - a Drumhead Ceremony - and this will be followed by a packed afternoon of events and entertainment for all the family, including flypasts by military aircraft, Highland dancing, music, and a Veterans' Village.  The day's celebrations will end with a Beating Retreat, a long-standing military tradition which now marks the end of a ceremonial occasion.

The Edinburgh International Film Festival will also be premiering Danfung Dennis's award-winning feature film 'Hell and Back Again' in collaboration with the Armed Forces Day cultural programme.  A War Stories Trail and children's art exhibition have also been developed for the day, along with the ongoing digitisation of the personal collection of Field Marshal Earl Haig, which comprises objects and photographs held by the Museum of Edinburgh.

Members of the Royal Family are expected to attend Edinburgh's Armed Forces Day celebrations and it is anticipated that up to 80,000 people will come to the city to take part and show their support for the Armed Forces.

BAE Systems and Finmeccanica are the two principal sponsors of the national event. Other sponsors include Force Protection, SELEX Galileo, the Royal British Legion and the Compass Group.  BAE Systems has offices in nearby Dunfermline, and equipment manufactured by them will be on display, including Warrior armoured personnel carriers.

Finmecannica will be displaying an AgustaWestland Lynx helicopter, normally based onboard HMS Portland, and co-hosting a lunch for the various VIPs.  Force Protection will be displaying Mastiff and Foxhound armoured vehicles which have anti-mine protection. SELEX Galileo is sponsoring the Red Arrows aerobatic team.

The Compass Group will be providing VIP refreshments and the Royal British Legion has lent its support to the various heritage and cultural offerings.  Further celebrations are planned for Sunday 26 June 2011, including a military fitness session, Massed Pipes and Drums, and a Battle of the Bands competition.

FS Cassiope Departure

FS Cassiope departing Leith this morning.

Same image but in Black & White

Leaving the quayside

Au revoir et la maison sûre de voyage

FS Cassiope

FS Cassiope is seen below in Leith for a weekend shore leave.  She is the 2nd in a class of 13 "Eridan" class minehunters.

Eridan Class Mine Hunters

M641 Éridan

M642 Cassiopée

M643 Andromède

M644 Pégase

M645 Orion

M646 Croix du Sud

M647 Aigle

M648 Lyre

M649 Persée (decommissioned in August 2009)

M650 Sagittaire

M651 Verseau (former Belgian M920 Iris) (decommissioned in February 2010)

M652 Céphée (former Belgian M919 Fuchsia)

M653 Capricorne (former Belgian M918 Dianthus)

Click HERE for more information on the class.

She is seen here alongside

HMS EDINBURGH FINAL DEPARTURE

HMS Edinburgh departed Leith (Edinburgh) for the very last time on Tuesday 29th March 2011 just after 10am.  There was no fanfare, no crew lining the sides, no bagpipes, no cannons etc.  It was a very poor show by the Royal Navy for her final departure.  Very dissapointed guys.

Anyway she is seen here departing from the Ocean Terminal

Preparing the removal of the gangway

Firing up her engines

Farewell Fortress Of The Sea, bon voyage and good luck with the Falklands deployment.