Cameron Says Britain to Send Helicopter Carrier to Philippines

Britain will send the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious to the Philippines to help with relief efforts after Super Typhoon Haiyan, Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday.

"I can announce Britain is sending the carrier HMS Illustrious to help with #TyphoonHaiyan," Cameron, who is heading to a Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, said on his official Twitter account.

Cameron said the total amount of British government aid for victims of the typhoon, which is believed to have killed thousands after it struck last Friday, was now in excess of 20 million pounds (32 million dollars).

Britain's International Development Secretary Justine Greening said on Twitter that Illustrious, which is currently in the Gulf, was carrying seven helicopters which would boost a mounting international aid effort.

Illustrious is the largest ship in the British navy with a displacement of 22,000 tonnes.

The announcement from Cameron came soon after the United States Navy said its aircraft carrier the USS George Washington had arrived in the Philippines to aid the relief operation.