NAeL Minas Gerais

NAeL "Minas Gerais" Navio-Aeródromo Ligeiro(Aerodrome-Ship,Fast) is a former aircraft carrier of the Brazilian Navy.

It started out as HMS|Vengeance|R71|6, a "Colossus"-class vessel built by the United Kingdom during World War II. She was purchased by Brazil in 1956 for USD $9 million, and named after Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek's home state of Minas Gerais. He apparently made this decision as part of an effort to appease the Brazilian military (mainly from Navy and Air Force), although this was only one of many extravagant projects Kubitschek carried out (such as the establishment of the city of Brasília).

Purchase

After the return of the "Vengeance" from loan to Australia on 12 August 1955 she was purchased by Brasil 14 December 1956. Refitted in the Netherlands, she was equipped with new weapons, a steam catapult, an angled flight deck, a new island superstructure and new American radar. [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/brazil/minas-gerais.htm Minas Gerais ] ]

ASW Operation

In her service years, due to jurisdiction problems with the Brazilian Air Force, the Navy could not operate fixed-wing aircraft and the S-2 Trackers were operated by the Air Force on behalf of the Navy. Nevertheless, Navy was able to fly helicopters.

In December 1987 she participated in Operation Dragon XXIII after which she was laid up due to catapult problems. The catapult was repaired in 1995-1996, using the catapult of her scrapped sister ship the "Veinticinco de Mayo". October 9, 1996 would be the date of the last Air Force flight from her deck when a single S-2 Tracker was launched. [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/vengeance/History_BN.html]

Attack Carrier and Argentinian Cooperation

After the Falklands War the Brazilian Navy expressed stronger interest in operating armed aircraft like the A-4 Skyhawk from their flight decks when operating away from the mainland, although this would take nearly 20 years to realize. [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/vengeance/History_BN.html History of the Colossus class carrier Minas Gerais (ex HMS Vengeance) ] ]

The Argentine Navy used her to qualify and train naval aviators after her sister ship ARA "Veinticinco de Mayo" was confined to port due to engine problems. In 1997 went to sea for training with Argentinian Super Etendard attack planes operating from her decks.

In 1997-1998 she was again refitted, and was intended to remain in operation until 2005, included in the overhaul was the provisions for operation of A-4 Skyhawks. In 1997, Brazil purchased 23 of the Kuwaiti Skyhawks which survived the Iraqi invasion and war, 20 A-4KU single seaters and three TA-4KU two seat trainers. [ [http://www.skyhawk.org/2c/productionhistory.htm Skyhawk Production History ] ] The aircraft were delivered to Brazil in 1998 and, after extensive upgrading, became operational in 2001. On 13-24th January 2001, Landing and launch trials were made by three A-4 Skyhawks on the deck of "Minas Gerais". This was the first time Brazilian Navy pilots were allowed to launch or land fixed wing jet aircraft on their own carrier.

Disposal

She served for 42 years in the and was replaced by NAe "São Paulo" in 2000. Due to the high maintenance cost of two aircraft carriers and also the fact that she had capacity for just 12 modern jets [http://www.terra.com.br/istoedinheiro/257/economia/257_porta_avioes.htm ISTOÉ Dinheiro ] ] , she was offered to the Argentine Navy but was rejected due to her poor condition and high restoration and maintenance costs. Downgraded to a helicopter support ship in 2001, she was finally decommissioned from the Brazilian Navy on 16 October 2001; she had been the final "Colossus"-class carrier in commission anywhere in the world.Fact|date=July 2008

In 2002, the 58 year old ship was auctioned, during the auction the Brazilian Navy received 12 offers from buyers, 9 of which wanted to scrap the ship immediately, as the ship contained over 16 thousand tonnes of high quality steel. In the end on July 22 she was sold for USD $2 million to HK Jiexin Shipping, a Hong Kong company. The company claimed it would anchor her in Zhoushan, China, near Shanghai and convert her into a museum ship with shops and a bar. However in October 2003, the bid was rescinded, and the "Minas Gerais" was set to be scrapped.

In 2002 a campaign under the name Save the Vengeance was started to acquire her as a museum ship, but was unable to secure funding.Fact|date=July 2008 This leaves the museum ship INS "Vikrant", the former HMS "Hercules" as the only surviving Second World War-era aircraft carrier of British origin.

The ship remained docked on Rio de Janeiro between 2002 and 2004. She was finally towed from Brazil in February 2004 to Alang, India, where the ship was broken up for scrap between the years 2004 and 2005.

ee also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of ship commissionings in 1960
* List of ship decommissionings in 2001

References

External links

* [http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/farewell.htm HMS Vengeance website - photos of transport and breakup]
* [http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/vengeance/Index.html Friends of HMS Vengeance Campaign]
* [http://local.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&z=15&ll=21.379007,72.177054&spn=0.017224,0.020041 NAeL Minas Gerais on Google Maps, when approaching the beaches at Alang, Gujarat, India to be scrapped]
* [http://www.naval.com.br/historia/a_compra/vengeance.htm The 'Vengeance' acquisition (Portuguese version only)]
* [http://www.naval.com.br/biblio/NAeL_Minas/dossie01.htm NAeL "Minas Gerais" - Poder Naval OnLine (Portuguese version only)]