HMS Ocean pulled into port for the last time as a Royal Navy ship as it is now due to be sold to Brazil.
The Royal Navy’s flagship and sole helicopter carrier has served the nation for 20 years and has traveled all around the world.
The ship was pictured pulling into Plymouth, Devon for maintenance works ahead of its sale to the Brazilian Navy later this year.
She is then due to be sent for an ‘onward disposal’ and will begin to serve the South American nation.
The 130-metre ship was photographed entering the Devonport Naval Base at 12.30pm on Friday, February 9, before her decommissioning later this year.
First commissioned in 1998, HMS Ocean is an amphibious assault ship and the UK’s only helicopter carrier. The ship was constructed in the mid-1990s by Kvaerner Govan on the River Clyde and fitted out by VSEL at Barrow-in-Furness prior to trials and subsequent acceptance in service
HMS Ocean has been deployed to Sierra Leone, Operation Telic off Iraq and operations off Libya since it was first commissioned in 1998.
One of the most recent missions was a humanitarian operations in the Caribbean.
Upon the arrival of the ship, a Warrant Officer for the Royal Navy said: ‘As you can see HMS Ocean has just come back alongside and birthed in Plymouth for the final time which has been quite a sad and appointed day for various members of the ships company.
‘Six of us, myself included were original crew so we joined the ship in Barrow-In-Furness in 1997, we were part of the crew who were commissioned to her in September 1998 so bringing her back into Plymouth for the final time today has been quite a strange, unique and tearful experience for some of the guys.
‘We’ve been out at sea doing aviation training for the last couple of weeks with various squadrons both navy and air squadrons.
‘We’re tucked in alongside now so we’ve just released the ships company for the weekend and when we come back we commence our preparations for our decommissioning ceremony towards the end of March.
‘Then handing the ship, hopefully over to the Brazilians towards the end of June.’
HMS Ocean has been used to effectively transport Royal Marines to trouble spots around the world and has been in service for 20 years. On arrival of the ship, a Warrant Officer for the Royal Navy said: ‘As you can see HMS Ocean has just come back alongside and birthed in Plymouth for the final time which has been quite a sad and appointed day for various members of the ships company
HMS Ocean has sailed into Plymouth for the very last time as a serving Royal Navy vessel. Since it was first commissioned, HMS Ocean has been deployed to Sierra Leone, Operation Telic off Iraq and operations off Libya. She is then due to be sent for an ‘onward disposal’ and will begin to serve the South American nation
The decks of HMS Ocean were lined by the ship’s company in dress uniforms, with the traditional decommissioning pennant flying and accompanying tugs firing water hoses into the air. The Royal Navy released an asking price of £80.3 million for the ship which Brazil described as ‘adequate’