Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers - News and Discussion

[sea_eagle]

Link to the monthly ACA blog by the Managing Director:
http://www.aircraftcarrieralliance.co.u ... -blog.aspx

Overall very positive news

..HMS Prince of Wales – which is now more than 60% complete in terms of man hours spent on assembly – is wonderful to see. ....Another milestone worth mentioning includes the forward island, UB07 which has just been delivered to Rosyth from our Clyde shipyard and will be lifted onto the deck in just a few days. It’s 70 tonnes heavier than the same block from QNLZ, meaning like LB01, the level of completion is far higher, saving hundreds, if not thousands of man-hours during the fit-out phase further down the schedule.

No problems with cost overruns or build delays. I think it is important to remind ourselves that the "huge" cost of £6bn for these 2 carriers as is often reported in the press pales into insignificance compared to the annual Social Security budget of approx £220bn every year.Try multiplying that by the 50 years the carriers are expected to remain in service!


I have a question about the QE, anyone know why the second radar not been fitted yet?

[SKB]

I have a question about the QE, anyone know why the second radar not been fitted yet?

She's still being fitted out. Most likely because the Aft Island and Flyco area is still a building site and covered in scaffolding. Other things going on. Anyway, QE isn't likely to need it just for a while yet.

[cockneyjock1974]

I meant to say I was in a local restaurant the other day and two blokes walked in with Wartsila polo shirts on! I can only assume they're here for the commissioning of the Diesel engines, so watch this space people.

[cockneyjock1974]

Pics folks enjoy they are all less than 24 hours old.












And lastly the new bridge under construction.

[cockneyjock1974]

Link to the hosting site if you want to expand the pics further.......

[Pymes75]

Remember the QE's naming ceremony last July? The VIP's and guests all received a nice glossy 196 page book. Well, here it all is. Packed with information, photos, diagrams and even a message from HM The Queen herself.
http://issuu.com/faircountmedia/docs/hms_queenelizabeth

Thought it was very interesting to read the 'TAG' compositions being quote:

1. Confirmed typical strike TAG:

24 x F-35B Lightning II
9(!) x Merlin HM2
4 x Merlin Crowsnest

2. Littoral Manoeuvre

12 x Merlin HC3/4
3 x Chinook
8 x Apache AH1
6 x Wildcat Mk1 (Army version)

- Might not come as much of a surprise as the a/c package looks very USN Expeditionary Strike Group-ish! Still, a nice air assault package there - and probably could take 6-12x F-35Bs for CAS if required.

[The Armchair Soldier]

Thanks for sharing the pics, CJ. POW looks to be coming along very nicely.

[SKB]

Thanks to CJ for the photographs. Saw the S1850M long range radar base-support thingy sitting on top of the PoW's forward island main mast which CJ correctly identified last week.

Also saw PoW's UB01 upper bow block sitting outside the Babcock shed. Also near to it, one of the future sponsons destined to be fitted to the rear half of the ship (when it arrives!).

A minor PoW assembly diagram update below, the S1850M long-range radar base was fitted on top of the forward islands main mast. Interesting to note that both the radar and the base were delivered and fitted at same time with QE last year.

[-Eddie-]

Thanks for the pictures, CJ. It's good to see all the work going in to both QE and PoW.

Also a video from BAE showing UB07 being taken to Rosyth and installed on HMS PoW.

[SKB]

Hmm. no combined services plaque or ceremony for the island installation this time?

[rec]

IT is unfortunate that cats and traps is not an option as it gives far greater flexibility, for example the cheaper Rafale or Super Hornet and E3 AEW and drones.
Ideally I think there should be 48 F35B for the FAA ( 2 front line squadrons of 15 and an OCU of 12) and 48 F35A for the RAF (2 front line squadrons of 15 and an OCU of 12). As a dedicated maritime fixed wing force will be more effective.

[Tiny Toy]

IT is unfortunate that cats and traps is not an option as it gives far greater flexibility, for example the cheaper Rafale or Super Hornet and E3 AEW and drones.

Yea, I said this.

Ideally I think there should be 48 F35B for the FAA ... and 48 F35A for the RAF

That will be the best part of £15billion of your finest nonexistent sterling taxpayer pounds, sir.

[GibMariner]

Remember the QE's naming ceremony last July? The VIP's and guests all received a nice glossy 196 page book. Well, here it all is. Packed with information, photos, diagrams and even a message from HM The Queen herself.
http://issuu.com/faircountmedia/docs/hms_queenelizabeth

Thought it was very interesting to read the 'TAG' compositions being quote:

1. Confirmed typical strike TAG:

24 x F-35B Lightning II
9(!) x Merlin HM2
4 x Merlin Crowsnest

2. Littoral Manoeuvre

12 x Merlin HC3/4
3 x Chinook
8 x Apache AH1
6 x Wildcat Mk1 (Army version)

- Might not come as much of a surprise as the a/c package looks very USN Expeditionary Strike Group-ish! Still, a nice air assault package there - and probably could take 6-12x F-35Bs for CAS if required.

I noticed that too and on paper it looks good, but in reality, I think the numbers published there are more of what the RN would like than what will actually happen.

I suspect the RAF will have too much of a say as to what number of F35Bs are routinely assigned to carrier ops. I hope I'm wrong about that and we see air groups like above frequently in a few years' time.

[CR4ZYHOR5E]

Nice one CJ, awesome shots as usual.

[-Eddie-]

More on the F-35 training and familiarisation for British pilots from the F-35 site.

The Royal Navy’s vision for tactical integration of the F-35B into their current arsenal is similar to the Marine Corps’ plan to integrate the F-35 with legacy aircraft, such as the AV-8B Harrier and the F/A-18 Hornet, and gradually phase out legacy aircraft over the coming decades.

“By 2020, U.K. combat airpower will consist of Typhoon and F-35B Lightning II, a highly potent and capable mix of fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft. With Typhoon already established as one of the premier multi-role fighters in the world, the F-35 brings a complementary next-generation level of survivability and lethality. This will ultimately provide the UK with an unprecedented level of capability in a single platform,” said Royal Navy Lt. Cmdr. Neil Mathieson, the UK’s F-35B Ship Integration Lead.

https://www.f35.com/news/detail/u.s.-ma ... f9531342=1

[wirralpete]

Remember the QE's naming ceremony last July? The VIP's and guests all received a nice glossy 196 page book. Well, here it all is. Packed with information, photos, diagrams and even a message from HM The Queen herself.
http://issuu.com/faircountmedia/docs/hms_queenelizabeth

Thought it was very interesting to read the 'TAG' compositions being quote:

1. Confirmed typical strike TAG:

24 x F-35B Lightning II
9(!) x Merlin HM2
4 x Merlin Crowsnest

2. Littoral Manoeuvre

12 x Merlin HC3/4
3 x Chinook
8 x Apache AH1
6 x Wildcat Mk1 (Army version)

- Might not come as much of a surprise as the a/c package looks very USN Expeditionary Strike Group-ish! Still, a nice air assault package there - and probably could take 6-12x F-35Bs for CAS if required.

Would prefer the Wildcats to be versions armed with LMM and Sea Venom and a decent radar, does the Seaspray do an overland search ala the Searchwater 2000?

[cyrilranch]

SEASPRAY has the ability to do overland surveillance mode according to the pdf.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&sourc ... ubo68PFJ5A
http://www.selex-es.com/documents/73744 ... 0E_LQ_.pdf

[laurencechris]

I'd be interested to understand the anti ship capabilities that the carriers will be projecting. As things stand there is a huge gap in our ability to sink anything bigger than a corvette.

[SKB]

QE and PoW will simply use their bulbous bows and 70,000 ton mass as battering rams to sink enemy ships.... providing they can get up above 25 knots, that is.
Or possibly, a dozen Challenger 2 tanks will be positioned on their flight decks and hangar doorways, making QE and PoW into Battle-Carriers!


Actually, I rather like that second idea. Maybe not on a QEC, but on another large flat-topped ship.

[Pymes75]

I noticed that too and on paper it looks good, but in reality, I think the numbers published there are more of what the RN would like than what will actually happen.

I suspect the RAF will have too much of a say as to what number of F35Bs are routinely assigned to carrier ops. I hope I'm wrong about that and we see air groups like above frequently in a few years' time.

Realistically, I think these two example TAGs give an idea of what the RN could deploy on a secific operation. I agree that it's unlikely the QECs will plod around the world's oceans with those air groups embarked - more likely, 6-12x F-35Bs, 4x Merlin HM2s, and 4x Merlin Crowsnest (which can double as utility helos).

[SKB]

REMINDER!
A new tv programme about the HMS Queen Elizabeth build, it will be shown tonight (Tuesday 26th May 2015) at 9pm on UKTV's 'Yesterday' channel.
(Freeview 19, Sky 537 or Virgin 206)

EDIT: Ugh. Exactly the same as the US one, except the exact same narration is being done by a Briton, word for word. Even the prices of construction are still given in US dollars....

[WhitestElephant]

I noticed that too and on paper it looks good, but in reality, I think the numbers published there are more of what the RN would like than what will actually happen.

I suspect the RAF will have too much of a say as to what number of F35Bs are routinely assigned to carrier ops. I hope I'm wrong about that and we see air groups like above frequently in a few years' time.

Realistically, I think these two example TAGs give an idea of what the RN could deploy on a secific operation. I agree that it's unlikely the QECs will plod around the world's oceans with those air groups embarked - more likely, 6-12x F-35Bs, 4x Merlin HM2s, and 4x Merlin Crowsnest (which can double as utility helos).

Yes, those examples are certainly in reference to what will be the surge TAGs.

The RAF surely has the ultimate authority on how the F-35s are deployed, if that happens to be from an allied air base or an aircraft carrier then it will be so. Which I think is sensible... not every military operation will be best served with carrier strike, just as it wont always be best via an allied or overseas UK air base.

[sea_eagle]

Ideally I think there should be 48 F35B for the FAA ... and 48 F35A for the RAF

That will be the best part of £15billion of your finest nonexistent sterling taxpayer pounds, sir.[/quote]

Think we need to find the money........and get the radar fitted -thanks SKB to QE pronto!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32877936

Anyway £15bn will buy the whole 138 as the price will drop once full production is underway. I doubt anyone would miss a couple of £bn from the aid budget. That would give us 6 x full fat squadrons to max out QE & PoW - then take them on exercise to Gibraltar before heading off to the Falklands.

Anyone know if a QE could park up (sorry) at Gibraltar? Would settle for a photoshop image while I wait...

[downsizer]

The RAF surely has the ultimate authority on how the F-35s are deployed,

No they don't.

[Geoff_B]

Actually i'm not too sure about that, i suspect most deployments the RAF will send out a deployment for a few week of intense air ops, but are unlikly to do the whole tour. The mixed manning of the F-35 units, familarity with the QEC and chance to do something different will probably result in a higher input from the RAF elements post 2020 (especially if it involves exercises and extended shore leave in the likes of the USA or Australia )