Originally Posted by
57mm
One of the officers on board her said this morning on the radio that she would be in service for the next 50 years. Really?
Can't speak for UK carriers, but yes, that is the service life of a modern aircraft carrier. Even the WW2 era USS Lexington had a 48 year service life, the USS Midway, commissioned in 1945, was in service 47 years, and USS Enterprise was commissioned for 56 years.
If that's scary consider this. The
youngest B-52 in service today is already over 55 years old and is planned to be retired in 2040, when it will be 78 years old. USAF is currently planning to keep the C-17 flying and in service till after 2115. That'll make many of them over a century old! Mind boggling, no?