The retired aircraft carrier has been floating off the coast of Brazil for three months after Turkey refused to let it enter to be dismantled there, the Brazilian Navy announced on Wednesday. Despite requests to refrain from doing so because of the environmental risk, Brazil intends to ditch its largest warship.
The 1960s-era vessel So Paulo has been drifting aimlessly in the South Atlantic Ocean for five months. It is the biggest warship ever built by Brazil, measuring 870 feet in length and weighing over 34,000 tonnes.
The carrier was being towed by a tug to Europe, but it was stopped at the Straits of Gibraltar. In a statement, the Brazilian Navy said that they did not allow the ship to dock at Brazilian ports. The Navy also said that the ship is taking on water and is at risk of sinking.
The Navy said it had no choice but to scuttle the ship in water about 5,000 metres deep 350 kilometres off-shore within Brazil’s exclusive economic zone.
The Environment Minister Marina Silva requested not to sink the carrier. The Navy statement said that the site is far from environmental protection areas and free of undersea communication cables.
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