The former flagship of the Royal Navy is to be sold off to scrap merchants ending two years of uncertainly over her future, it will be announced in Parliament today.
HMS Ark Royal, once the bullish symbol of Britain’s defence diplomacy, will follow the ignominious fate of her sister ship HMS Invincible by ending life as a razor blades.
There had been strong indications that she would sold to a British diving company and sunk off the Devon coast to become a major scuba diving attraction.
An estimated bid of £6.5 million was submitted to purchase the ship that as a diving reef could have contributed up to £30 million to the local economy
But it is understood that the Ministry of Defence hierarchy could not stomach the imagery of the iconic aircraft carrier sinking to bottom at a time when the Navy has been decimated by cuts.
Officials have examined a series of other options for the 22,000 ton warship that included becoming a casino off China, a London heliport, nightclub or museum ship.
But the announcement in Parliament is expected to reveal the details of the scrap deal after the vessel was decommissioned in 2010 five years ahead of its expected sell-by date.
HMS Invincible was sold to a Turkish scrap metal firm last year as part of the MoD's drive to get its finances in order but there was great indignation when photographs appeared of its hulk being stripped.
Ark Royal is seen as a symbol of the former might of the Royal Navy, being the fifth vessel to carry the name of the flagship which saw off the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Known as the Mighty Ark, the light aircraft carrier saw action in the Adriatic during the Bosnian War in 1993 before being sent to lead the British fleet during the invasion of Iraq a decade later.
Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review's decision to scupper the vessel and ground the Harrier jump jet fleet 18 months ago, the Royal Ark has been awaiting its fate in Portsmouth harbour.
A MoD spokesman said: ''HMS Ark Royal was decommissioned in 2010 after three decades of service and an announcement on her future will be made to Parliament on Monday.
''Retiring her five years earlier than planned was a difficult but necessary decision to help address the multi-billion pound Defence deficit and deliver a balanced MoD budget.
''The new, much larger Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers will start to enter service in 2017.''
However there is a strong chance that the Ark Royal’s name might be preserved if, as hinted, the Prince of Wales agrees to allow its name to replace his on the second 60,000 ton carrier being built.
But it is understood that the Ministry of Defence hierarchy could not stomach the imagery of the iconic aircraft carrier sinking to bottom at a time when the Navy has been decimated by cuts.
Officials have examined a series of other options for the 22,000 ton warship that included becoming a casino off China, a London heliport, nightclub or museum ship.
But the announcement in Parliament is expected to reveal the details of the scrap deal after the vessel was decommissioned in 2010 five years ahead of its expected sell-by date.
HMS Invincible was sold to a Turkish scrap metal firm last year as part of the MoD's drive to get its finances in order but there was great indignation when photographs appeared of its hulk being stripped.
Ark Royal is seen as a symbol of the former might of the Royal Navy, being the fifth vessel to carry the name of the flagship which saw off the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Known as the Mighty Ark, the light aircraft carrier saw action in the Adriatic during the Bosnian War in 1993 before being sent to lead the British fleet during the invasion of Iraq a decade later.
Following the Strategic Defence and Security Review's decision to scupper the vessel and ground the Harrier jump jet fleet 18 months ago, the Royal Ark has been awaiting its fate in Portsmouth harbour.
A MoD spokesman said: ''HMS Ark Royal was decommissioned in 2010 after three decades of service and an announcement on her future will be made to Parliament on Monday.
''Retiring her five years earlier than planned was a difficult but necessary decision to help address the multi-billion pound Defence deficit and deliver a balanced MoD budget.
''The new, much larger Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers will start to enter service in 2017.''
However there is a strong chance that the Ark Royal’s name might be preserved if, as hinted, the Prince of Wales agrees to allow its name to replace his on the second 60,000 ton carrier being built.
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