Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[cyrilranch]

Wasn't HMS Albions deployment to the pacific region in 2018 ? so maybe HMS POW in 23/24 sounds about right or maybe HMS Bulwark? maybe the french could participate with CdeG or a Mistral rather than just one of their submarines

A mistral jeanne D,arc is already in India on tour. With CdeG in the gulf at present.

[serge750]

Thanks, i did not realise CdeG was in the gulf, it would be a great shot for the UK CVBG on the way out to asia to meet up with our french allies

[imperialman]

Interesting, this is what the RN hope to have "by 2030". Note Vixen taking on AEW from Merlin.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Strike
Find/ Strike
Fix/ Strike

... labels for the three identified naval rotary assets
How should one read those (or is there some inconsistency, due to different sources?)?

[imperialman]

Strike
Find/ Strike
Fix/ Strike

... labels for the three identified naval rotary assets
How should one read those (or is there some inconsistency, due to different sources?)?

There's more here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... INAL-O.pdf

[ArmChairCivvy]

There's more here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... INAL-O.pdf

Some excellent slide work there... but I really needed the break after 22 slides
- if there are ever conclusions (minutes) they would run to 20-30 % of that length (bcz you should always retain and state assumptions; reiterate is the name of the game/ of the day)

[Ron5]

Strike
Find/ Strike
Fix/ Strike

... labels for the three identified naval rotary assets
How should one read those (or is there some inconsistency, due to different sources?)?

Easy peasy:

A strike asset would require something else to provide targeting data. Wildcat dropping Stingrays would be an example i.e. "fly to these coordinates and drop torpedo".

A find/strike asset would be capable of all steps from initial detection of a bad guy to weapon deployment. Wildcat on an surface ship guard duty would fit the profile. The bogie would be "found" by the Wildcat's radar/EO, IFF & co-ords "fixed" by same, followed by "strike" of Wildcat launched Martlet/Venom.

Fix/Strike would be a Merlin sent to a location by its mother ship (T23 or T26) to investigate an echo that was "found" by mother. That echo would be "fixed" using its dipping sonar then "struck" with a Stingray.

[RichardIC]

Video on the 4 F-35B ISO container housed mission simulators to be carried on board HMS QE. Two sims per container.

[SKB]

^ "sim-a-lators"

[PhillyJ]

A lot of activity in the dockyard for both QE class carriers recently, including the 'marquee' on PWLS flight deck being removed today. I tend to spend most my lunchtimes sat by HMS M33 eating and watching the daily goings on, 2 Pumas were circling and landing in the dockyard today so that was a pleasant change.

Saw nipper the other day and he said that the reports regarding PWLS ready to sail by May reported earlier are pretty much what he is expecting to happen.

[Ron5]

Lovely spot for lunch judging by google maps, very jealous

[Timmymagic]

2 Pumas were circling and landing in the dockyard today so that was a pleasant change.

Think that was a delegation from Turkey visiting.

[donald_of_tokyo]

QECV having good simulators for F35B is really great point. It can up keep the pilots certificate without spending precious flight hours (and expensive maintenance loads) to actually fly the F35Bs. Innovation, it is, I think.

[PhillyJ]

Think that was a delegation from Turkey visiting.

Indeed, my nipper piped the Turkish Defence Minister on and off and also showed him around PWLS with other crew.

[PhillyJ]

S my IT career i
I will be learning traditional wooden boat building techniques

Quite a big career change. And a big challenge. All the best.

Care to explain why did you choose exactly that?

Sorry for not replying sooner, got lost in the updates.

To be honest I didn't really like my last 2 years in IT for various reasons, but as it was quite well payed, flexible work hours and little travel distance (pre Covid working from home) it would have been difficult to justify leaving. As my mind was made up for me by IBM my Wife said why not do something I'd actually enjoy.

With the help of a govt bursary scheme for those made redundant it reduced the cost by about £11k and a bit more achievable. I'd always said working in the historic museum sector locally would be something I'd like to do, hopefully after this year course it will help me achieve that, ideally on Pompey Historic boats.

3 weeks in I can confirm that my upper arm muscles are still not sure planing wood in my 50's was a good idea!

[Ron5]

We're rooting for you Philly. I'm sure we can rustle up a full load of passengers for your first boat trip round the harbor in a boat you've built. I'll pick up the tab for drinks being remote

[abc123]

3 weeks in I can confirm that my upper arm muscles are still not sure planing wood in my 50's was a good idea!

Yeah, that's the reason why I asked you that.

Anyway, good luck with your new ( hopefully ) career. The muscles will adjust with time.

[Jensy]

An outstandingly well detailed and thought through piece from Navy Lookout:

https://www.navylookout.com/cats-traps- ... ed-drones/



Covers a great deal of the discussion we've had here regarding the RFI for 'cats n' traps', the role of UAVs, and "where do you fit the catapult/wires".

Navy Lookout even has four theoretical deck layout options for how to integrate any such equipment, with the pros and cons.

I won't summarise the article any further, as it's definitely a worthwhile read.

[Jdam]

Surely what ever option is chosen we are going to need an angled flight deck?

[Jensy]

Surely what ever option is chosen we are going to need an angled flight deck?

At the sort of weights/size/capability proposed for Vixen, that would be my assumption. I'd also want a second catapult for redundancy and maintenance.

However.... frankly who knows? BMT, BAE and Thales spent decades looking at every variation for a future carrier. Hopefully they've kept that data.

As Navy Lookout mentions, additional Lightnings and V-22s with pods might be seen as a "lower cost" option. Cynic in me wonders if that's the real plan and this is a distraction to argue how much "cheaper" it would be to go with that instead. Interestingly, Bell are rumoured to be putting the Osprey up for the new Medium Helicopter requirement, alongside the 525 Relentless.

[Ron5]

Surely what ever option is chosen we are going to need an angled flight deck?

Nope.

[seaspear]

Could another alternative for meeting U.A.V requirements be to design and build a small ship that could launch and recover U.A.V s with other capabilities as well that meet the needs of the R.N

[topman]

I wonder how much of all this will remain a marketing drawing.

[shark bait]

Note Vixen taking on AEW from Merlin.

Good to see theirs something pointing in that direction. AEW from Merlin is the biggest weakness in the carrier groups defence.

[Ron5]

I wonder how much of all this will remain a marketing drawing.

A lot of countries are running lots of loyal wingman type programs so I think it's a pretty safe bet we'll be seeing them. Probably sooner rather than later.