This U.S. Navy newsreel shows the launching of the fifth USS Independence (CV/CVA-62) is a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She was the fourth and final member of the Forrestal class of conventionally powered supercarriers. She entered service in 1959, with much of her early years spent in the Mediterranean Fleet.

Includes rare footage of the F-11F Tiger at sea.

Independence made a single tour off the coast of Vietnam in 1965 during the Vietnam War, and also carried out airstrikes against Syrian forces during the Lebanese Civil War and operations over Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, the enforcement of the no-fly zone over southern Iraq.

Independence was decommissioned in 1998 after 39 years of active service. Currently stored at Bremerton, Washington, the ex-Independence will be towed later in 2015 to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping, the last of the class to be scrapped.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com