USS Forrestal

One of the plans for the Forrestal was to make an artificial reef. Of course that too would have meant that asbestos, PCBs and any other nasties would have needed to be removed from it first.

It was also to be made a deep sea reef out of the reach of divers apparently because of design features that are carried on into modern US carriers.

In any case, due to the aformentioned way that the US guards its war tech, breaking the Forrestal up outside of the US would have been unthinkable, no matter what the cost.

Thanks sandiego89. It was said with my tongue somewhat in cheek.

Having re-viewed the ship’s statistics I realised that not only could our entire RN compliment of aircraft be accommodated on/in Forrestal, it could probably take the modern RAF’s too, it’s that big:eek:

Anon.

Could the UK MoD not buy it, do a re-fit and put it into service for a fraction of the cost of a new-build?
.

No, the Forrestal is long past gone. She rotted away for years at Newport with zero upkeep. Stripped of many important parts and elctronics. Many remaining systems no longer have spares. It would be a massively expensive rehab for anytype of service, and would require an entirely replaced sensor suite from a new source like BAE- billions easily. And the manning requirments would overwhelm the UK, both on types of ratings required and the number fo crew.

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The Fighting Temeraire.

That photo is reminiscent of Turner’s “Fighting Temeraire” another great ship that was ignominiously scrapped,
Jim

Does anyone remember the Forrestal visiting Southampton, 1957 I think. I stood in the line up to board her for hours in the rain but alas didn’t make it. HMS Ark Royal was berthed along side her and looked tiny in comparison.
USS Forrestal had a full complement of aircraft. I have some ol B&W photos now badly faded taken from the dock which shows Furies and Demons on the flight deck. Any pictures from the visit out there?
Regards
Bill

The first (and only) carrier ops for a C130 were off Forrestal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjNyQvhsQE8

And I seem to recall the Bucc did trials on her also?

I’m into Amateur Radio and remember picking up a Radio Amateur on board Forrestal shortly before she caught fire. He was quite blithely telling everyone what the ship’s position was I remember which I thought was a bit silly of him! (I think it was off the Chinese coast at the time).
Incidentally, the aeronautical connection to this is that I was hearing him on my ex-RAF R1155 receiver with only a few feet of wire as an aerial.
Jim

A famous and effective ship, it’s still proud and imposing even though stripped of its crew and equipment. A sad end but I suppose you can’t save ’em all.

Could the UK MoD not buy it, do a re-fit and put it into service for a fraction of the cost of a new-build?

I hope they have preserved some mementos from the ship in a Navy museum somewhere.

Anon.

Breaking it up in Texas will cost millions of dollars because of the regulations for controlling and cleaning up the asbestos and PCBs.

The Navy could have made another artificial reef with it, but that would have cost money, too.

Might have sold it to an Indian breaker yard or somewhere else unregulated and actually made some money on the deal, but that would create terrible publicity.

The contract requires all steel plating to be cut to 5’x5′ – which greatly reduces its resale value over what they could get for 8’x4′ plates.

All Star Metals won’t be making a lot of profit on this, all things considered.

Some scrappie made out big time on this. One wonders why the Navy let it go for that. Last time I saw Forrestal was in Rhode Island, in storage with Saratoga. Horrible end to a great ship.