This is interesting, sounds like USMC pilot, so true interoperability.

Take your pick: Ok, I'll pick them all. You've posted a bunch of links without any insight into why any are unbalanced or biased in the way you claim. So let's be clear: There was an internal flood that caused QNLZ to return to port early; departure was delayed by Covid positive cases; the ship's C...

Let's see one. Take your pick: QNLZ sets sail after Covid-19 outbreak postponed mission https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54093648 7 September 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54064886 QNLZ postpones mission due to Covid-19 15 May 2020 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk...

More unwarranted BBC bashing. Not really. Just pointing out that none of the BBC reports I have ever seen about the carriers have ever provided a balanced or particularly insightful view. In fact their tone has been generally negative. Many people do trust the BBC but the trend is in the other dire...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-54411984 Is it just me or has our national broadcaster changed tack? This report seemed pretty positive. Indeed the good old BBC managed to say that this was the largest depolyment at sea of F35s anywhere in the world and gave a nice plug to the RAF busting argument ...

Not a lot new here but at the end a bit about USN involvement in next year's deployment. https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2370938/secnav-interchangeability-at-sea-a-goal-for-maritime-partners/utm_source/twitter/utm_medium/social/utm_content/1000015430308...

When I saw the photos and noticed that there were only 4 UK jets I just assumed that Supreme Leader Boris and Sky Marshal Cummings had decided to deploy the 5th on a QRCLP (quick response COVID lockdown patrol). Maybe that is something being saved for later.

In the meantime if 6 Merlin's from 820 NAS are aboard and 2 from 846NAS then with the 15 F35s that gets you to 23 aircraft and 'the most on a British carrier' since HMS Hermes. Ironically being towed to the scrapyard as I type.

It's about your appetite for risk. Leaving port in marginal conditions increases the chances of collision and grounding with all the attendant delay and bad PR. In wartime there are different considerations but it's no coincidence that in a conflict you see a far greater number of casualties due to ...

In 1983 Hermes airwing was 32 aircraft carried 22 Harriers and 10 SeaKing so with 15 F-35's QE will at some point need to carry 17+ helicopters to beat that I don't suppose it is a coincidence that 21 aircraft is more than the Invincible class could carry and so it is a symbolic milestone for the R...

If they are saying the largest airgroup since Hermes this would imply it is more than a CVS every carried. What was the peak load of Invincible during the Falklands? It was a slow day so I did a bit of digging into the numbers of Harriers embarked on HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes during the Falklan...

If HMS Astute is on the Faslane ship-lift presumably the SSBN previously using it is back in the water (if not necessarily sea worthy).



Still no news on when HMS Vanguard might return from its staycation in Devon.

New Twitter account to follow:

https://mobile.twitter.com/SenNatRepQNLZ

Re-reading the Save the Royal Navy article on the September exercise the author said: "The plan is to have an air group consisting of 5 UK and 10 USMC F-35 jets, plus 6 Merlin helicopters. With 15 jets on board, this will be the largest embarkation of F-35s afloat in the world so far." Giv...

A photo of Hermes sailing on 5 April 1982 shows 18 helicopters on deck and 11 Harriers. Assuming one Harrier in the hanger that gives a capacity of at least 30 which coincidentally is the capacity given by David Hobbs for Hermes in 1968. If it was 32 a year later perhaps that number was exceeded in ...

That's interesting. Without doing a forensic exercise it looks like the most number of Harriers embarked by Hermes was 16 to 18.

If they are saying the largest airgroup since Hermes this would imply it is more than a CVS every carried. What was the peak load of Invincible during the Falklands? Surprisingly difficult to confirm without a lot of reading. I think 801 squadron in Invincible started with 8 and 800 squadron in Her...

PS may I add that in my opinion HMS Glorious's escorts HMS Ardent and Acasta should got VC's for their actions with Acasta who had been laying a smokescreen when all hope was lost broke through her own smokescreen firing torpedo's striking and damaging Scharnhorst before being hit a number of times...

I disagree. Philips had really bad hand, but tried to do something, his choice wasn't perfect, but he at least tried to do something useful, instead of just running away or surrendering to a less numerous force like Singapore did, without allmost a serious fight. If anybody is to be blaimed, then C...

I drop a lot of blame at the feet of Rear Admiral Phillips. Firstly, the "the Royal Navy had to fight" line of reasoning to support his sortie is dumb. Preserving his fleet in being was the single most important contribution Phillips could make to defending Singapore, and charging off wit...

An article referencing the fate of Force Z that ends just as it is getting interesting but worth a read in the context of the possible deployment of HMS Queen Elizabeth to the South China Sea next year.

https://www.thearticle.com/do-we-risk-e ... of-force-z

Watching that video gave me an unpleasant 9/11 vibe. I hope the security services/MOD have considered that risk.

The Italians have gone for a split buy of F35A/B. Their current F35B fleet is tiny and in any event it is probably too early to say but (assuming adequate transparency) over time their experience could be relevant to the merits of a UK split buy. @Gabriel64869839 may be able to provide some relevant...

I did read recently that the 5.25 guns on the KGV class and cruisers were not considered particularly effective AA weapons (albeit useful for creating a barrage) and that the 4.5 or 4 guns were considered better. I think it was something about elevation and firing rate but it could have been fire co...

It is an interesting point. Ideally you would have an algorithm that calculated the relevant value of each support structure taking into account cost and workarounds. Indeed, that could be useful for every military equipment program. Maybe Dominic Cummins could try to write one. With flight deck tra...