Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[CR4ZYHOR5E]

Good photos. What’s the deal with the deck...why does it look like it’s at the end of its 50 year career rather than the beginning? Patchwork is the phrase that comes to mind.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Patchwork is the phrase that comes to mind.

And the F-35s haven't had a chance to melt holes into it yet! Is it that heat treatment - only (?) applied to landing spots?

BTW: the first of those photos would make a great recruitment poster (or a screen saver...)

[SKB]

(Wonkabar007) 23rd June 2018

After completing the second phase of helicopter flying trials at sea, HMS Queen Elizabeth returns to a sunny Portsmouth, next stop the USA for F-35 flight trials.

Who knew QE had "hazard warning lights" on her stern?! 2:15 ^

[Lord Jim]

Does she go "Beep" when going backwards

[SDL]

Closer and closer.

How long will the Fixed wing trials take out of interest... and will we see F35's onboard immediately after that or will there be a gap between trials and the QE operating with fighters onboard?

[Gabriele]

2019 is expected to see the first embarkations for 617 Sqn as maritime build up begins, but according to earlier reports that might happen on Prince of Wales instead of on QE.

[hovematlot]

Does she go "Beep" when going backwards

3 blasts on the siren normally suffices.

[SKB]

366 days now and still no red double decker buses. I'm getting impatient.

[SKB]

QHM Portsmouth: Tugs winding QE to Bows North, PRJ, Thursday 28th June 12:40
https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/qhm/portsm ... 28/06/2018

[dmereifield]

366 days now and still no red double decker buses. I'm getting impatient.

Just like the aircraft, we can't actually afford the buses. We may have to rely on allies to populate the bus wing....

[Scimitar54]

The only extra "buses" that we actually need are those for C.O.D. Since we already have the "water buses". There may also be chocolate "Double Deckers" on board

[SKB]

I went into the dockyard today to watch QE 'winding ship' from Bows South to her usual Bows North. It started at 12:40.

QE1 28Jun2018.jpg

QE1.5 28Jun2018.jpg

QE2 28Jun2018.jpg

QE3 28Jun2018.jpg

QE4 28Jun208.jpg

QE5 28Jun2018.jpg

QE6 28Jun2018.jpg

QE7 28Jun2018.jpg

QE7.5 28Jun2018.jpg

Took just over an hour.

[CameronPerson]

That’s what I call a view! I like the first picture, I remember once seeing all three Invincibles alongside and thinking how huge they looked.. nothing like QE though! Weird to think that the displacement of Invincible, Lusty and the Ark added together still doesn’t exceed QE’s

[Timmymagic]

Went into the dockyard today to watch the winding of QE from Bows South to her usual Bows North. It started at 12:40.

Great pics as ever. I can't stop feeling a little disappointed when I see a pic of QE docked that the the original basing arrangements have never gone ahead. Its still a fantastic achievement with all of the new facilities, but watching articulated lorries driving up ramps into the ship via the hanger openings, unloading and driving out through the other hanger opening to replenish the entire ship in a matter of hours with 10 people would have made the USN green with envy...

[RNFollower]

366 days now and still no red double decker buses. I'm getting impatient.

Just like the aircraft, we can't actually afford the buses. We may have to rely on allies to populate the bus wing....

I assume it would be a Joint force set up, but teamed with Stagecoach and not the RAF

[SKB]

4 years ago today!

[seaspear]

UK Defence journal has reported on the "Dragon fire" being readied for testing this is perhaps a step closer to being deployed on ships a large ship would have the capacitor size to have a meaningful amount of directed energy if not enough as a means to destroy a high speed missile but to disable the sensors ?

[Ron5]

UK Defence journal has reported on the "Dragon fire" being readied for testing this is perhaps a step closer to being deployed on ships a large ship would have the capacitor size to have a meaningful amount of directed energy if not enough as a means to destroy a high speed missile but to disable the sensors ?

I believe the end goal for Dragonfire is a 50KW class weapon. The USN appears to think that is too low to be useful.

The size of the capacitors also has to do with firing rate. In other words, how long do you have to wait between shots. A large capacity would allow an initial quick salvo followed by a slower rate of fire. Rather like conventional artillery.

[Simon82]

My slight concern is how well will laser weaponry work on a foggy, rainy or snowy day? The efficacy of 20 mm shells from a Phalanx are fairly weather independent I believe.

[albedo]

My slight concern is how well will laser weaponry work on a foggy, rainy or snowy day? The efficacy of 20 mm shells from a Phalanx are fairly weather independent I believe.

Does it have to be either/or? Isn't it feasible to have both weapons installed, at least for a transition generation until laser technology develops further? I'm no naval architect, but I'd have guessed that the cost and practicality of installing both wouldn't be prohibitive, assuming suitable positions are available. And then the increased survivability from having the option of either or both systems could be a major plus.

[serge750]

That's what I would do, until the the tech has advanced enough, maybe one on top of the bridge covering forward 180 & one on the aft island covering the rear 180..along with the seawizz's ciws aswell would be good, midlife refit maybe ?

[seaspear]

Popular mechanics clams the U.S.N is developing 4 different laser weapons two of which are in the 150 kilo watt range a solid state one to be installed on the San Antonio class in 2019 and and the ruggedized or Rhel system Lockheed Martin is planning on installing on Arleigh Burkes in 2020 laser weapons that will be integrated into the power cooling and battle management systems "eee spectrum"
Certainly the R.N apart from a previous first sea lord express some interest in laser weaponry seems either to have gone quiet or kept its cards close as to what it envisages for the capital ships in added protection if any.

[Qwerty]

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/dragonwor ... r-qinetiq/

[Ron5]

You have to wonder what this UK project brings to the laser table that's not already been done in several other countries already.

Qinetiq claims they have a unique way to modulate the laser power. My guess is that means they have figured out how to vary the number of little lasers whose beams are combined to make the final beam. If so, that's been done in the US already. But who knows, all very secret.

[shark bait]

Is the aim is to do anything radically new? Isn't it more to develop the tech in house so not to leave the UK behind?