Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[hovematlot]

I see 3rd Phalanx still not fitted

[bobp]

I see 3rd Phalanx still not fitted

Yes wonder what the hold up is. Also I seem to remember that the Carriers would also get 30mm guns, maybe I was mistaken.

[Timmymagic]

Yes wonder what the hold up is. Also I seem to remember that the Carriers would also get 30mm guns, maybe I was mistaken.

They are also to get the ASCG mount for the 30mm's. Think later in the year to be ready for CSG21. The holdup will probably be the number of available mounts and those finishing off cycling through the upgrade programme. It's one of those annoying bottlenecks, 2-3 more Phalanx mounts would make a lot of real difference to the overall availability.

[Tempest414]

Yes wonder what the hold up is. Also I seem to remember that the Carriers would also get 30mm guns, maybe I was mistaken.

They are also to get the ASCG mount for the 30mm's. Think later in the year to be ready for CSG21. The holdup will probably be the number of available mounts and those finishing off cycling through the upgrade programme. It's one of those annoying bottlenecks, 2-3 more Phalanx mounts would make a lot of real difference to the overall availability.

Have they removed the Phalanx mounts from the Fort 1's and Bulwark if not it might help

[serge750]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or mentioned before, could the gun mounts be used for the combination gun+martlet system as tested a few months back? & could that account for a delay fitting to the carriers as they are making up there minds ?

[PhillyJ]

PWLS winding and moving to Princes Royal Jetty as we speak, might even have finished by now.

[SKB]

PWLS winding and moving to Princes Royal Jetty as we speak, might even have finished by now.

(Photo: @AmzJS13)

Bows south too

[jimthelad]

tent over the port for'ard phalanx mount.

[Timmymagic]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or mentioned before, could the gun mounts be used for the combination gun+martlet system as tested a few months back? & could that account for a delay fitting to the carriers as they are making up there minds ?

Yes. The system tested was a standard DS-30M ASCG with the Martlet missile carrier attached on the side. It was an adaptation of the existing mount rather than a new build MSI Seahawk SIGMA. The QE Class will get the same DS30 mounts as the T23's so could carry the same set up (if its ever fully ordered and installed).

[SKB]

[Ron5]

Lovely photo, thanks for posting.

[SKB]

[J. Tattersall]

https://www.naval-technology.com/projec ... le-system/

It will be interesting to see whether Sea Captor ever gets fitted to the Queen Elizabeth class or indeed if the 40mm guns slated for Type 31 ever replace the 20mm Vulcan Phalanx.

[Max Jones]

https://www.naval-technology.com/projec ... le-system/

It will be interesting to see whether Sea Captor ever gets fitted to the Queen Elizabeth class or indeed if the 40mm guns slated for Type 31 ever replace the 20mm Vulcan Phalanx.

The 40mm isn't really intended to be a direct replacement for the Phalanx - the Type 26s are still planned to be fitted with a couple Phalanx CIWS each and they'll be making up the bulk of the future frigate fleet.
If the QE-class does get more advanced missile defence, it will probably be looking ahead a 15-30 years in the future when the Phalanxes are deemed outdated and obsolete. For now, they are still being widely used.

[Magpie64]

Does anyone have information on any trials or tests of Phalanx vs. modern missiles? Has it actually been proven effective against the latest generation of anti-ship missiles?
It astounds me that we still rely on this CIWS to protect our RN ships and crews.
I was on D96 back in the eighties when it was fitted.
I know it has had upgrades since but it was in service with the USN in 1980, it is 40 years old!
(a real concern for me, my youngest lad is on QE)
Thanks

[SKB]

[RichardIC]

Does anyone have information on any trials or tests of Phalanx vs. modern missiles? Has it actually been proven effective against the latest generation of anti-ship missiles?
It astounds me that we still rely on this CIWS to protect our RN ships and crews.
I was on D96 back in the eighties when it was fitted.
I know it has had upgrades since but it was in service with the USN in 1980, it is 40 years old!
(a real concern for me, my youngest lad is on QE)
Thanks

Yup and it was designed as protection against subsonic and non-stealthy threats. And you can upgrade the software as much as you like but the gun is still horrifically short of reach.

[serge750]

Glad they said that, I could see the headlines from some over inflated journo "britains biggest warship sinks of the coast..."

[Tempest414]

Yup and it was designed as protection against subsonic and non-stealthy threats. And you can upgrade the software as much as you like but the gun is still horrifically short of reach.

And this is why the US navy have moved over to RAM and fit SeaRam on the Independence class and others

[Ron5]

Does anyone have information on any trials or tests of Phalanx vs. modern missiles? Has it actually been proven effective against the latest generation of anti-ship missiles?
It astounds me that we still rely on this CIWS to protect our RN ships and crews.
I was on D96 back in the eighties when it was fitted.
I know it has had upgrades since but it was in service with the USN in 1980, it is 40 years old!
(a real concern for me, my youngest lad is on QE)
Thanks

By that same criteria, the Bofors is 90 years old

[Ron5]

Yup and it was designed as protection against subsonic and non-stealthy threats. And you can upgrade the software as much as you like but the gun is still horrifically short of reach.

And this is why the US navy have moved over to RAM and fit SeaRam on the Independence class and others

.... and the RN has introduced CAMM & Aster 15.

Phalanx, is just as much an anti boat defense than anything these days. For missiles, it's last ditch and all that implies.

[Tempest414]

agreed however I do like the SeaRam option which CAMM and Aster do not have i.e it offer ships with little or no linked radar a good point defence missile option

[Caribbean]

I must admit that I do think that adding a few RAM batteries to the carriers (less impact on aircraft operations than e.g. CAMM, as they can be mounted in positions where they don't need to launch across the flight deck/ path), alongside Phalanx (to give them, effectively, their own "Goalkeeper" capability) might be a good idea. Add in a few extras to bolt onto (say) the RB2s and RFAs operating in more dangerous waters and you add quite significant defensive capability at relatively low cost

[Ron5]

as they can be mounted in positions where they don't need to launch across the flight deck/ path

You would think it wouldn't be that hard to come up with a CAMM solution that meets that requirement.

[PhillyJ]

A couple of pics from my lad on his deployment around the West Coast of the British Isles, him piping Rounds and a different perspective from the RAS they did. He will also be out on a boat in the harbour watching the Marine Evacuation System test, from a safe distance one hopes!

Oops, couldn't add pics as board attachment quota been reached