Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[SKB]

Ugh. PoW has a ships crest sticker on the front of the ramp. Just seen it on the BBC News...

[Bring Deeps]

It will be interesting to see what appears on the LM F35 website about UK orders over the next few days.

Although that website isn't going to be 100% reliable at least LM as a US commercial organisation are probably subject to tougher controls than UK politician on giving out facts, or if there are no facts to give out, keeping quiet.

[RAF>FAN]

So only 8 Type 26 then?

Wonder how many smaller Frigates?

[OevetS]

So he said, so it is confirmed!!...... so what the hell are these smaller cheaper frigates, black swans???

[arfah]

............

[RAF>FAN]

Maybe an improved/upgraded River Class?

[OevetS]

Maybe an improved/upgraded River Class?

oh dear, short changed anyone??

Oh he said 13 frigates, to include 8 type 26's and must be 5 new designed light flexible frigates, plus he said OPV's????

[GibMariner]

• Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade who are trained and equipped to provide
specialist amphibious and Arctic warfare capabilities. We will enhance a Queen
Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to support this amphibious capability

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... b_only.pdf

Page 31

[shark bait]

• Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade who are trained and equipped to provide
specialist amphibious and Arctic warfare capabilities. We will enhance a Queen
Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier to support this amphibious capability

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... b_only.pdf

Page 31

More beds on POW?

[CR4ZYHOR5E]

Response to a question from the DUP...

'Both carriers will be brought into service, both carriers will be crewed.'

[SDL]

I would guess that would be the PoW that'll be 'enhanced'. What enhancements would this mean?

[OevetS]

. sorry wrong thread

[arfah]

................

[Fire_In_My_Hole]

"with one available at all times"

The Royal Navy
4.47
The Royal Navy delivers our nuclear deterrent, projects our maritime power and
provides world-class amphibious forces. As part of Joint Force 2025, we will have:
•
Two new Queen Elizabeth
Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for
the Royal Navy. These will enter service from 2018, transforming the Royal Navy’s
ability to project our influence overseas. They will form the core of our maritime task
group, with one available at all times. We will increase the number of F35 Lightning
aircraft we are buying in the early 2020s to ensure that we make best use of this
world-leading capability, and we will buy three new logistic ships to support the fleet,
in addition to the four tankers that will enter service from 2016.

[SKB]

Did the SDSR imply both carriers could deploy together with 2 seperate crews and aircraft squadrons? Or "one in, one out" strategy ?

[arfah]

One in, one out would involve two seperate crews.

Otherwise, how would they take their leave entitlement?

[Old RN]

If one of the QEs is enharnced for amphibious function it would imply that both are normally deployable as part of a surge, otherwise they would enharnce both of them?

[The Armchair Soldier]

I'm guessing the enhancement of POW for amphibious ops is to alleviate (to some degree) the loss of Ocean?

[QEC Eye in the SKY]

Not exactly Christmas morning with the SDSR 2015, but its hardly the worst one in recent times. Some ambiguity with regards whether QE & PoW will be operated side by side or the 'one in one out' method, and seeing has he mentioned RN numbers to increase by just 700, hardly enough to crew a QE Class carrier and the support required. Anyway, onwards and upwards and all that!!!


Shame that only 8 type 26's will be ordered, but at least we're getting the P8 at long last!

[SKB]

Any news of Goliath lifting/fitting PoW blocks?

[The Armchair Soldier]

Managing Director’s Blog – November Update

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement regarding the outcome of the Strategic Defence and Security Review yesterday, everyone in the Alliance should be pleased that the UK government has underlined the importance of our two-ship programme to the country’s future defence requirements, ensuring that one carrier is available at all times.

The SDSR reaffirms how strategically important HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales are to the defence of the country. The government is increasing the procurement of F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the UK in the early 2020s and has confirmed that it will enhance one of the QE Class carriers to support the amphibious capabilities of the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade.
It is up to all of us within the Alliance and the supply chain to ensure we continue to make every day count and deliver the programme to schedule and target cost. The Royal Navy and the nation expect F35 Lightning IIs to be flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth in 2018 and with initial operating capability by 2020. This will only happen if we deliver.

And we’re certainly making good progress. We have both gas turbines and diesel generators now up and running on HMS Queen Elizabeth, much of the mission system in commissioning and we hope to be turning the first of her two propulsion shafts by the end of the year. HMS Prince of Wales is also still on schedule and looking like a proper ship in the dry dock. I have no doubt, 2016 will be a challenging year for everyone, but we all know what we have to do to deliver. I’m confident we have the team in place to achieve it.

http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.co.u ... -blog.aspx

[SKB]

I think they should enhance both ships. What if the one enhanced carrier is dry-docked for six months for a lengthy refit but is urgently needed?

[Ron5]

I think they should enhance both ships. What if the one enhanced carrier is dry-docked for six months for a lengthy refit but is urgently needed?

Bu they'd have to buy new davits & hammocks to do that! (as opposed to reusing Ocean's)

[seaspear]

The Prince of Wales was much earlier claimed to have different modificatons to the Queen Elizabeth is anything known in detail about the modifications and how differently the two ships capabilities will be from each other

[Gabriele]

I think they should enhance both ships. What if the one enhanced carrier is dry-docked for six months for a lengthy refit but is urgently needed?

Probably it'll be so, but it will only happen at each carrier's first major refit. Maybe they can accommodate some changes at build on PoW, but they will not want to introduce much more and risk to miss target dates and have the NAO denounce another cost increase...