Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais

The carrier was constructed by Swan Hunter for the Royal Navy (RN) as HMS Vengeance. She was laid down on 16 November 1942, and launched on 23 February 1944. Despite this plan, the ship had a service life of over 55 years across three navies. ==Early operational history==

After commissioning, Vengeance was assigned to the 11th Aircraft Carrier Squadron, which was attached to the British Pacific Fleet. The carrier arrived in Sydney, Australia in July 1945, but remained in the harbour for refits until the end of World War II. From late 1952 until mid-1955, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy, to serve in place of the under-construction . ==Purchase and modernisation==

During the leadup to the 1955 presidential election, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, governor of the state of Minas Gerais promised Brazilian admirals to acquire an aircraft carrier for the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy). Kubitschek later claimed that this was to avoid a naval rebellion during his inauguration at the start of 1956, and despite believing in the "military uselessness" of the second-hand warship, The size of the angle required that an accessway be built around the starboard side of the island superstructure; the weight acting as a counterbalance for the flight deck's portside overhang. The carrier's island superstructure was replaced, and a lattice mast was fitted to support the new fire control system and radar suite. Weapons and systems During the ship's modernisation refit to become Minas Gerais, her armament was altered to consist of ten Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns (2 quad mountings and 1 twin mounting), and two 47 mm saluting guns. ==Brazilian operational history==

In 1965, President Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco permitted the operation of helicopters to the Navy, fixed-wing aircraft were to remain the responsibility of the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB, Brazilian Air Force). As a result, Minas Gerais was required to embark two air groups: the Navy operated helicopters while the Air Force operated S-2 Tracker aircraft. From 1976 to 1981, the ship underwent a major refit. In December 1987, Minas Gerais herself was laid up after participating in Operation Dragon XXIII because of problems with her aircraft catapult. Although unable to operate as an aircraft carrier, the ship saw use over the following years in training exercises as an amphibious assault ship; using an air group of Eurocopter AS532 Cougar and Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel helicopters to transport Marines ashore. The launchers themselves were installed in 1994, with the ten Bofors removed at the same time. In order to operate the new fighters, Minas Gerais underwent a major refit at the Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro. The main purpose of this refit was to upgrade the catapult to launch Skyhawks. ==Replacement and decommissioning==

The replacement of Minas Gerais was first suggested in the early 1980s, as part of planned 15-year naval expansion program. The first was for a 40,000-ton ship equipped with up to forty aircraft, including naval fighters. For this to happen, the 1965 ruling that prevented the MB from operating fixed-wing aircraft had to be overturned; a decision the FAB opposed. Minas Gerais was decommissioned on 16 October 2001: the last of the World War II-era light aircraft carriers to leave service. At the time of her decommissioning, she was the oldest active aircraft carrier in the world (a title passed on to the 1961-commissioned ). Also at the decommissioning ceremony was 87-year-old Admiral Hélio Leôncio Martins, who was the first commander of the aircraft carrier. There were also crew who had served on the Minas Gerais at different times. Bidding reached £4 million before the auction was removed from the website under rules preventing the sale of military ordnance. == See also ==