Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[james k]

Thanks. Any idea if they can be armed for port or anchorage security duties as the work boats of USN carriers are?

[ArmChairCivvy]

And not just quicker, PoW should be substantially more complete when floated out so fitting out should faster/cheaper as well.

No wonder that (in the contract) the second carrier was for only 1 bn more

[Ron5]

sea_eagle wrote:
Suggestions that an additional 20m Block was added between the 2 towers?

There is no extra block. Or blocks. PoW is exactly the same length as QE. Watch the skid video again for proof.

SKB, always great posts. It was just a day dream that maybe one of the yards had the original design and shipped the missing block up for PoW
The whole story of the design and build is a great testament to UK shipbuilders and look at the speed with which PoW build followed QE. Suggestions are it will be completed 6-12 months faster than QE.

Thought you were joking. I laughed

[Aethulwulf]

UK orders 20 more aircraft carriers...

https://quillorcapture.com/2017/08/25/r ... -carriers/

...at £1.5k each I think they should be on sale to the public. One of these would make a fine addition to my local pub.

[sea_eagle]

UK orders 20 more aircraft carriers...

I am fully expecting S K B to provide the detailed block building updates for each one as they proceed..

[cockneyjock1974]

The BBC are reporting that Sea Ceptor will be used on the QE class!!!! Fake news????

[Jdam]

It might be the press getting confused sea ceptor reports have mentioned protecting the new carriers nothing about getting fired from one

[Dahedd]

The BBC are reporting that Sea Ceptor will be used on the QE class!!!! Fake news????

We can only hope they've seen sence & will fit it from the outset.
Highly unlikely I know

[SKB]

The RN will be livestreaming PoW's naming ceremony (Friday 8th September 2017) on Facebook. Nothing confirmed about their Youtube channel streaming it yet.
https://www.facebook.com/royalnavy/

[Gabriele]

The BBC are reporting that Sea Ceptor will be used on the QE class!!!! Fake news????

Probably. Unfortunately, despite the 2013 study into the feasibility of fitting Sea Ceptor to the carrier, funding was never granted, as far as i can tell...

[ArmChairCivvy]

the 2013 study into the feasibility

Did they look at the electro-magnetic compatibility? Although no radar needs adding, those boxes that tell each one in which direction to bend after the siphon cartridge has become a spent force... fun & games if it is not fake news - and a damning verdict on the T45 investment

[Dahedd]

Why a verdict on the T45? Surely another layer of air defence is to be welcomed ?

[Cooper]

I'd imagine the actual fitting of a sea ceptor silo would be relatively easy, it would fit..somewhere.

The tricky part would be integrating the command and control room along with all the people needed to operate an independent, carrier borne missile air defence system, that wouldn't overlap the defence provided by your surface escorts.

[james k]

What are the QE's designed to have? Just 3 Phalanx and some DS30M?

[Timmymagic]

What are the QE's designed to have? Just 3 Phalanx and some DS30M?

Correct. Some earlier CGI's had more Phalanx but that has always been the plan. Never seen an image with missile armament.

[james k]

Not much for a big, very big, asset.

[WhiteWhale]

Not much for a big, very big, asset.

Don't worry, Phalanx has a fantastic service record of successfully intercepting a friendly battleship and several friendly aircraft, it is entirely reasonable to depend on it as the sole layer of defence.

[Dahedd]

The tricky part would be integrating the command and control room along with all the people needed to operate an independent, carrier borne missile air defence system, that wouldn't overlap the defence provided by your surface escorts.

Surely the same can be said of having T45 & T23/26/31 in the same fleet with Seaceptor & Aster 15/30 missiles on different ships. Probably more so if an Aegis equipped allied ship sails as part of the fleet which will inevitably happen (say a USN Burke, RAN Hobart ) or something like a Dutch De Seven Provincien.

[Enigmatically]

Oddly, none of you have mentioned what I understand is the biggest problem (and its not cost). Or the 2nd biggest (nor is that).

Which is why once again it may be best to avoid criticising the decisions that are made based on information you haven't seen

[Dahedd]

Colour me intrigued Enigmatically. Other carrier operators manage it, so do we know something they don't ?

[jimthelad]

Throw height and targeting hand off in cluttered airspace spring to mind.

[Enigmatically]

Colour me intrigued Enigmatically. Other carrier operators manage it, so do we know something they don't ?

No, they certainly are aware. But priorities are different, other factors are different.

[whitelancer]

No, they certainly are aware. But priorities are different, other factors are different.

When the RN makes a decision that most find surprising if not inexplicable, its hardly surprising that it draws much comment. Of course we are not in on the reasons for said decisions but as the RN has never justified themselves they will have to put up with any criticism they receive. Of course they may have made a perfectly good decision for very good reasons, but how are we to know that when the evidence from other Navies would suggest otherwise.
Oh and being enigmatic doesn't really help.

[Timmymagic]

Oddly, none of you have mentioned what I understand is the biggest problem (and its not cost). Or the 2nd biggest (nor is that).

I know it's come up time and time again, and that lots of very sensible reasons have been given, from rocket efflux, pilots natural inclination to not have missiles launching, safety of deck crew, the RN's experience of Sea Dart on CVS (space can't be an issue this time around though) and of course cost. It's just baffling that every other carrier operator bar none sees it as an essential component of a carriers self protection suite yet we don't seem to. Even the USN that in the past has placed protection of the carrier in the hands of it's escorts equips it's CVN's with a pretty wide range of armament from ESSM, RAM and Phalanx. I could understand if it was FFBNW at present, or if there was a space allocated to it but it doesn't look like there is, which for a design that has been designed with future requirements in mind seems odd.

[ArmChairCivvy]

the RN's experience of Sea Dart on CVS (space can't be an issue this time around though) and of course cost. It's just baffling that every other carrier operator bar none sees it as an essential component

Even the Ruskies removed missiles from the decks of their Moskva thru-deck cruisers.

RAM is like a missile gun (pointed), but would be interesting to hear where ESSMs are located in the overall structure(?)