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I just finished a book called "To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World", it details the Royal Navy (in relation to how they laid the foundations for the modern world) from the start till the Falklands and after. It obvious focuses heavily on Trafalgar, it's a fantastic read.
 
HMS Victory a 104-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. Nelsons flagship at Trafalgar in 1805... still in service (preserved as a museum ship but still in commission). A glorious ship that lead British forces to victory in one of the most important battles in British history!

hms-victory-460_885714a.jpg
 
I still think the best naval photos are always the BBs. USS Pennsylvania, making a move on the Japanese-held Philippines:

748px-USS_Pennsylvania_moving_into_Lingayen_Gulf.jpg
 
The end of an era and the biggest misktake made by the MOD.

As much as I would prefer we kept Ark Royal, the realities of the situation we're in means we don't need it. It wouldn't even have been used or be of much use in Libya. The Harrier was a fine aircraft but it wasn't long range and it couldn't deliver stand off missiles. It must be faced that the Ark was a relatively small strike carrier with a very soft punch. We're getting two new supercarriers in part due to the money saved by cutting the fleet. The ship was a nice capability but one we can live without until 2019.
 
We had garden navy, bathtub navy and here's Photoshop navy. Here's what Americans will be packing in 2015 - if Chinese lend them money to build it:

It's huge, it's modern, it's loaded with computers, it's scary, it's kinda cute and it has quite a few new cool toys - like electro-magnetic catapults to launch aircraft. CVN-78 USS Gerald R. Ford. This one is going to replace Enterprise.

775px-CVN-78_Artist_Image.jpg
 
Having browsed through cool naval stuff under construction, I found out India is going to have quite some navy in a few years. They are prepping two Carriers, among 3 dozens other vessels. This is Vikrant class, being designed and built entirely in India in Cochin shipyards. It's going to carry 40x Mig-29k multi-roles around and in general will be quite badass. I don't expect them fighting for the Arctic Circle - but maybe in the Somali expansion? ;-)

Vikrant03.jpg


As a sidenote, Indians together with MIGs and tech also bought this Soviet old junk and have it refitted now in Russia to be operational around the same time their local carrier gets builts - so two CBGs total by 2015. $2.5 bil a piece, but no girl could resist. Baku aka Admiral Gorshkov aka INS Vikramaditya.

457px-Carrier_Baku.jpg
 
Modest Dutch Navy 1

Walrus class submarines

4_walrusklasse_onderzeeboten.jpg


4 submarines

Hr. Ms. Walrus
Hr. Ms. Zeeleeuw (Sealion)
Hr. Ms. Dolfijn (Dolphin)
Hr. Ms. Bruinvis (Harbour Porpoise)

Hr. Ms. Walrus

Hr._Ms._Walrus_%281992%29_op_zee.jpg


23 Feb - 2 Mar 1999: Walrus participates, among other NATO navies and the Brazilian navy, in the exercise JTFEX / TMDI99.

JTFEX / TMDI99 stands for Joint Task Force Exercise / Theatre Missile Defence Initiative 1999. The exercise is held in the Caribbean and on the US main land and has 27000 participants, of which 15000 naval participants. This exercise is the biggest gathering of forces since the Gulf-war, is held from 1 Feb to 4 Mar 1999.

During this exercise the Walrus penetrates the US screen and 'sinks' many ships, including the US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71. The submarine launches two attacks and manages to sneak away. To celebrate the sinking the crew designed a special T-shirt. Other ships that are sunk by the Walrus (2) during this exercise are: USS Boise SSN-764, Ro?m DDG-70, R? DDG-61, Ville De Quebec FFH/FFG-332, Stephen W. Grooves FFG-29, Holstein F-216, Vella Gulf CG-55, Mount Whitney LCC-20.

Alkmaar class Minehunters

Hr._Ms._Maassluis.jpg


10 Minehunters (4 are being sold)

Hr. Ms. Haarlem
Hr. Ms. Maassluis
Hr. Ms. Makkum
Hr. Ms. Middelburg
Hr. Ms. Hellevoetsluis
Hr. Ms. Schiedam
Hr. Ms. Urk
Hr. Ms. Zierikzee
Hr. Ms. Vlaardingen
Hr. Ms. Willemstad


Zeven Provinciën class frigates

670px-Hr._Ms._Tromp_%28F803%29.jpg


4 air defense and command frigates

Hr. Ms. De Zeven Proviciën
Hr. Ms. Tromp
Hr. Ms. De Ruyter
Hr. Ms. Evertsen


Karel Doorman class frigates

Hr._Ms._Karel_Doorman_%281991%29.jpg


2 multipurpose frigates

Hr. Ms. van Speijk
Hr. Ms. van Amstel


Rotterdam class Amfibious Transport Dock

Hr._Ms._Rotterdam_%281998%29.jpg


2 Amfibious Transport Docks

Hr. Ms. Rotterdam
Hr. Ms. Johan de Witt


Others

Beside these ships there are several support vessels for the navy and the marine corps.


FUTURE

4 Holland Class korvets
Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs)

800px-HNLMS_Holland_P840.JPG


Hr. Ms. Groningen
Hr. Ms. Zeeland
Hr. Ms. Holland
Hr. Ms. Friesland
 
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While India overpaid Russians for their old not-battleship, Brazil bought an old CV from France for bare $12 mil, added modernized A4 Skyhawks from Kuwait (remember Falkland War? those got owned by Harriers there - but they also bravely defended Kuwait in the Desert Storm so maybe it evens out) and will have their replacement for Minas Gerais (good old Colossus class btw) fully operational later this year after they finish installing cable tv (not a joke) and all other crucial systems on it. Rumour says it runs on vegetable oil now (now I am kidding). :)

NAe Sao Paulo:

aircraft-carrier-the-S%C3%A3o-Paulo.jpg
 
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