UK Defence Forum

Not real, but interesting.


(design3D foryou) 6 July 2019

Screen shot of an X-Plane 11 SRVL (Shipborne Rolling Vertical Landing) approach to HMS Queen Elizabeth using the AO Simulations F-35B. Aim for an overtaking speed of about 60kts. In this case we have a ship speed of 20kts, plus a headwind of 20kts, so the approach airspeed is around 100kts.

Now that the Stand-up date for 207 squadron seems to have been put back until later (sometime in the autumn) in the year, it just might also lead to the possibility that when their 6 x F35B travel from Stateside to RAF Marham, they might well be chauffeur driven for at least part of the voyage. The opportunity to get Carrier Qualified might well occur during Westlant '19. The resulting (slightly) fuller flight deck would certainly be a sight for sore eyes!!!

SDL wrote:

But why only two Phalanxes? When will they put the third one?

IIRC, there wasn't enough time to install 3 while back in Rosyth... so i thought it was going to be installed in Pompy, but i guess they'll be installing it at some point after WestLant

I thought the third was going to be installed next year just before the first deployment - will try to find the link, but remember it being discussed on this thread a while ago.

From Hansard, 18th February 2019:

Minister of the Armed Forces (Mark Lancaster): "Three Phalanx close-in weapon systems will be fitted to each new aircraft carrier. Two are being fitted to HMS Queen Elizabeth during her current capability insertion period, with the third to be fitted towards the end of 2020. Three will be fitted to HMS Prince Of Wales in 2020."

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2 ... anxWeapons

I noticed during the simulated f35b landing ,that it came close to a Chinook with its blades in operation ,are there any guidelines on this because would airflow from this effect the slowly landing f35b

Another thing, during shooting on red cube on sea, not quite accurate shooting, and that's pretty big and relativly still target... I wonder how would they show against real missiles?

Back to Pompey next week then, or not?

SDL wrote:IIRC, there wasn't enough time to install 3 while back in Rosyth... so i thought it was going to be installed in Pompy, but i guess they'll be installing it at some point after WestLant

I think it may be tied in to the availability of upgraded Phalanx mounts as well. With the upgrades of the Phalanx mounts underway at present, there may just be 2 ready to go for QE now from the upgrade pipeline, with others in the current pipeline allocated to ships that could potentially go in harms way getting the others as and when they're ready. With a small overall number in the RN as a whole, and only a small number going through the process at an time there probably isn't 3 available right now. Given how long they actually take to fit I don't think that was a reason to not install the third. Installing 2 will enable testing of systems and procedures to be undertaken with the extant mounts, the third when installed will be very straightforward as a result.

abc123 wrote:Another thing, during shooting on red cube on sea, not quite accurate shooting, and that's pretty big and relatively still target... I wonder how would they show against real missiles?

The killer tomatoes are designed not to collapse as they're hit, so there may be rounds going through the target that are unseen.
When engaging missiles the gun fires in bursts with the MMW radar adjusting the next burst after it tracks the progress of the previous batch. If just one burst is fired that adjustment won't be observed.

It's fair to say that Phalanx hasn't had too much of an opportunity to engage real targets in its service life. It's reputation in its early days wasn't great for reliability. Successive improvements have addressed that, but at the same time the threat has improved as well to the point at which gun based CIWS are marginal at best.

Not so sure about that.

Next year, they will be finding four (upgraded) mounts just for the QEC Carriers. They would presumably be fitting upgraded mounts to other vessels during 2020 as well.

Or did they just remove two from the first T45 to go in for Powerplant Upgrade to get them fitted to HMS QE earlier than might have otherwise been the case? Might be worth a look to see.

“It's fair to say that Phalanx hasn't had too much of an opportunity to engage real targets in its service life. It's reputation in its early days wasn't great for reliability.
Successive improvements have addressed that, but at the same time the threat has improved as well to the point at which gun based CIWS are marginal at best.”

I’m grateful that it didn’t do too badly at the COB, Basra.

The last time I looked in the CWEW building in Devonport it was full of Phalanx units in various stages of upgrade.

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Timmymagic wrote:

SDL wrote:I

The killer tomatoes are designed not to collapse as they're hit, so there may be rounds going through the target that are unseen.
When engaging missiles the gun fires in bursts with the MMW radar adjusting the next burst after it tracks the progress of the previous batch. If just one burst is fired that adjustment won't be observed.

That may be so, but if my eyes serve me right, it doesn't seem like they hit anything, in fact, a pretty wide miss...

Unplanned precautionary return for QE to Portsmouth after "internal system leak"
- not hull related

(Portsmouth Proud) 9th July 2019

Navy Lookout article: https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/hms-qu ... rnal-leak/


(@AmzJS13)

Qwerty wrote:“It's fair to say that Phalanx hasn't had too much of an opportunity to engage real targets in its service life. It's reputation in its early days wasn't great for reliability.
Successive improvements have addressed that, but at the same time the threat has improved as well to the point at which gun based CIWS are marginal at best.”

I’m grateful that it didn’t do too badly at the COB, Basra.

It's also pretty good at hitting great big moving targets, like a WWII era Battleship! Perhaps we can bring back Sea Dart as a backup

Lord Jim wrote:Does anyone have any news on how the POW is getting on?

All good from what my Lad tells me (or is allowed to!) I think they are due to go on board sometime in August and I assume sea trials are still set for Sept. He cannot wait to get back home, I think he has used up all of what Rosyth and Caledonia can offer him but has struggled to keep himself focused whilst waiting for her to be ready. He is good at turning taps on and off though!

Well I suppose he will have a while to wait before he gets to have a "Wet" in the Junior Rates mess.

So, does the early return of QE mean she failed her last week of FOST? And delay Westlant 19 a bit?

Breaking news major disaster according to the British Biased Corporation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-h ... e-48933881

It says the QE returned early due to a catastrophic minor water leak and ends reminding its readers that this is not the first major water leak since our Ladyship was launched.

Typical BBC screwing up again

Seriously been wondering a lot in last few months if I ought to renew BBC licence fee in August or not....

bobp wrote:Breaking news major disaster according to the British Biased Corporation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-h ... e-48933881

It says the QE returned early due to a catastrophic minor water leak and ends reminding its readers that this is not the first major water leak since our Ladyship was launched.

Could you quote the section of the article that refers to the water leak as "catastrophic"? It seems to me that your characterisation of the article says more about your biases than it does the BBC's.