Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[Jessie]

The CVF's also have (or did have at least) reserve capacity for an additional diesel if future power demands required it so there is room for growth built in. Plus if worse came to worse then finding room for an additional power source should be a bit easier then on a destroyer.

Could the RN get a tax break by putting a solar panel on the deck and claiming the ship is a hybrid?

Or place a wind turbine on top of each island... At 25 knots, I'm sure they could generate enough spare power to keep the type 45 escorts going. They'd just need a few miles worth of cable to plug them in

[SKB]

Did you know graphene generates electricity if sea water touches it? Graphene coated hull... now there's an idea.

[arfah]

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

[Engaging Strategy]

Has anyone seen any articles regarding the CVF's NOT receiving Phalanx 1B?

Apparently, this is so.

Heard it mentioned a few times, but never seen it in a reputable article. I don't see why it would be omitted.

[hovematlot]

Has anyone seen any articles regarding the CVF's NOT receiving Phalanx 1B?

Apparently, this is so.

As a cost saving measure, or being replaced with something else?

[WhiteWhale]

Has anyone seen any articles regarding the CVF's NOT receiving Phalanx 1B?

Apparently, this is so.

As in not receiving Phalanx at all or not receiving the !B version?

As one of main design focuses of the class has been to give it the most pitiful array of defences ever to grace a capital ship it wouldn't surprise me.

[arfah]

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

[WhiteWhale]

It's a good job that anti-ship missiles have never posed a threat or taken a sailors life, the RN would be making horrific mistakes otherwise!

[Engaging Strategy]

Fitted for but not with?

[shark bait]

Pheww, I'm not going mad after all. I was beginning to think I had made this up, but now someone else is corroborating it I feel slightly more sane now.

Surely they must have something else planned for the last line of defence. Lasers?

[Pseudo]

Surely they must have something else planned for the last line of defence. Lasers?

You know, I have one simple request. And that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!

[RetroSicotte]

I don't imagine the Phalanx will be a problem. It's already been set for the land based Centurion C-RAMs to be converted for use on them (there were 10 land based ones originally, probably a little less came back from Iraq, so should fit fine.)

Course, now it means we don't have a land based C-RAM...

[ArmChairCivvy]

You could always buy the C-RAM system from Rhreinmetall that mixes and matches guns and lasers using the same turret mechanics for both. It was a bit odd that Germany ordered only two (gun-based) systems in 2011, but the test results from 2012 might explain why they were holding back and just getting the system bedded in:

"The tests set the laser against three different targets. The first was a 15 mm-thick (0.59 in) steel girder that was cut through at a distance of 1,000 meters (3,281 ft). The second was a group of nose-diving target drones flying at 50 meters per second (164 ft/s) that were detected at a range of three kilometers (1.86 mi) and shot down at two kilometers (1.24 mi) within a few seconds. The third test was a simulated mortar attack using a steel ball 82 mm (3.22 in) in diameter moving at 50 meters per second. The 30 kW laser unit immediately tracked it before locking on and destroying the target. According to Rheinmetall, the time needed to knock out the “mortar” was fast enough to engage and destroy mortar [round]s at long range even in bad weather.

Rheinmetall is very pleased with the test results, stating that the tests show that the system can operate in snow, dazzling sunlight, ice and rain "
http://www.gizmag.com/rheinmetall-laser ... pictures#3

[hovematlot]

I'd be amazed if this happens. As has been said above the RN has learnt some painful lessons in the past by not having a modern CIWS. If they are fitting 2 Phalanx mounts each on the T26 and MARS and our previous carriers had 3 CIWS mounts QEC has gotta have something. Maybe Sea-Ceptor!

[Jdam]

Anyone got any links to the stories about Phalanx, I would like to read some more?

Do we really have the balls to not have some sort of gun based anti missile system, seems awfully risky. I mean even if we did replace it with Sea-Ceptor wouldn't there always be a voice at the back of your head wanting a radar controlled gun of some sort to back it up.

[shotleylad]

The carriers will be fitted with Phalanx before they deploy for the first time the same as the Type45.

[arfah]

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

[Engaging Strategy]

The carriers will be fitted with Phalanx before they deploy for the first time the same as the Type45.

Source, please?

Unless there's any newer information out there Phalanx for the QEs has already been bought and paid for. In keeping with the RN's system of only fitting them to deploying/deployable ships I wouldn't expect to see them fitted until her sea trials and maybe even later than that.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... rrier.html

[arfah]

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

[abc123]

I am hopeful that it is just poor rumour control.

I've not seen any info that confirms abandonment of Phalanx on the CVF's, either?

Something to look out for.

Well, if say Type 45 can do without Harpoons, Tomahawks, torpedos or ASROC, surely CVF can do without those pesky Phalanxes? Right? It isn't that the RN has ever lost a ship because of a missile hit?

And it will be "world-beating capability" again...

[hovematlot]

[/quote]

Unless there's any newer information out there Phalanx for the QEs has already been bought and paid for. In keeping with the RN's system of only fitting them to deploying/deployable ships I wouldn't expect to see them fitted until her sea trials and maybe even later than that.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... rrier.html[/quote]


Nice one I'm sure that's will happen. She might not even get them until after her trials off the US eastern seaboard. I guess they will swop the 3 Phalanx set between whichever carrier is operational at the time.

[SKB]

One down, 3010 to go for Portsmouth carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth

THE first of more than 3,000 compartments of Britain’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is ready to be crammed with equipment.

Read more: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defenc ... z3zJf5EclR

[seaspear]

Usually scale comparisons between the Queen Elizabeth class carrier and the Ford class have shown an overhead view ,but when reading that the Queen Elizabeth class is 56 metres from bottom of keel to top of masthead and the Ford class is nearly 76 metres high ,gives an idea of perspective between the two

[R686]

Usually scale comparisons between the Queen Elizabeth class carrier and the Ford class have shown an overhead view ,but when reading that the Queen Elizabeth class is 56 metres from bottom of keel to top of masthead and the Ford class is nearly 76 metres high ,gives an idea of perspective between the two

I'd hate to be the poor sod who works on the bottom and has to walk up all those stairs just to go for a smoko break

[cockneyjock1974]

Usually scale comparisons between the Queen Elizabeth class carrier and the Ford class have shown an overhead view ,but when reading that the Queen Elizabeth class is 56 metres from bottom of keel to top of masthead and the Ford class is nearly 76 metres high ,gives an idea of perspective between the two

No doubt GRF is the bigger ship in all directions, but I think the above is unfair on the QE as the GRF has a sailing ship style main mast slapped on top of an already very tall island. Not a betting man but it would interesting to know (all though we never will) which ship gives off the bigger radar return. I've read that QE gives off the same return as a fishing boat, I see her everyday and even unloaded her profile in the water looks very low compared to other carriers. I think the designers have been very clever in this respect.